Unbidden Past,Unbidden Thoughts
by Annaliesmarie99
Summary: Kahoko is asked to deliver some papers to the principal's office and ends up meeting someone she knew,from her past,who helps unlock her true skills...and eventually helps her come to terms with it..Epilogue's up! P.S. In the process of being edited.
1. Chapter 1: Happenings

**Unbidden Past, Unbidden ****Thoughts**  


**_ Chapter 1_**

**_._**

**_._**

**_._**

'_Man, why do the teachers find me to do all the work, especially at this time of the day, when I have to practice',_ thought Second Year Gen Ed student Hino Kahoko. Thoughts of practice made her smile: the violin.

When she started playing the violin, she thought of it as nothing more than a burden; because she had literally been forced to take part in the competition by the Fata Lily, who had blessed the original founder of the school.

As the concourse proceeded she found herself falling in love with the violin. She discovered her love for it when she attempted to not play the violin after the strings snapped during the third selection. She couldn't keep away from the violin and finally admitted that she loved it as if it was her own soul. '_I have Lily to thank_ _for showing me_ _the beauty of music,_ she thought, _and Tsukimori-kun as well..'  
_

'_Tsukimori-kun...I do miss his company...his guidance was precious...it doesn't seem like Zaoyinu sensei will be teaching me with my level, so I have to look for a violin teacher soon...those classes will be heavy on the pocket alright..I better take up a job soon',_ she mused.

Tsukimori Len had left after Christmas to study in Germany. He would probably move to Vienna after he graduated from college, he had told her so, he had also told her that she meant something to him.._a precious friend.._as he had told her. She smiled at the thought. '_You mean something to me as well…'  
_

Her musings were cut short as she finally arrived at the principal's office. Her homeroom teacher had asked her to get all the Christmas assignments signed by the principal. It was really a lot to carry, but she had made it without tripping. On knocking twice, the principal said, "Come in."

When she entered she suddenly found the heavy files off her hands and was facing Ryotarou and Kazuki with grins on their faces, holding her files with ease. "Tsuchiura-kun! Hihara-senpai! You scared the shit out of me!"

Kazuki grinned playfully at her and answered, "Sorry to scare you Kaho-chan, but you were gonna trip with all those files in your hands since they were almost upto your head."

"He's right, you know…" ,said Ryotaro. Kahoko gave a sheepish smile before dropping all her mock anger. "What brings you here Hino-san?", asked the principal. Turning to the principal, she answered, suddenly remembering the reason for her coming to the office, "Sir, Kishida-sensei asked me to bring the Christmas assignments to you so that you could re-sign them." At that moment only she noticed the other concours participants in the office as well as a red haired woman with green eyes..Someone she knew only too well..

"_Zia _Ayame???", she asked, her eyes widening to saucers. The said woman gave her a grin and winked, "You and I have a lot to catch up with,_ caramia _.Let's talk about it later all right?" Kahoko could only nod, blinking in disbelief. "You know her?", asked Kazuki disbelievingly. Kahoko nodded, words failing her.

"Exhibition Concert?", asked Kahoko. "Yes, we are planning it at the end of March this year," answered Kira Akihiko, the chairman of the school, nodding. This time they were seated in the Music Classroom.

"The concert will be open to public. The venue has not been decided as of yet, but will be soon. I decided on that time particularly because the entrance exams for colleges will be over by then so the outgoing third years can practice at that time. I am excluding no one this time, last time I did so only because one of you was inexperienced and I felt that it would be a disaster when you are playing on such a level and the chances of your screwing up were high. Now that I have seen the improvement I don't feel the necessity to prevent you from performing in this level. It will definitely add to your experience and help you improve, believe me."

'_I thought he disliked me that's why he didn't allow me to participate...now I see he only had the best interests in mind', _thought Kahoko.

"Speaking of improvement, I have someone I would like to introduce you to." Turning to the red haired woman beside him he said, "This is Ayame Daidouji. She is an international violinist and lives in Italy. She completed her tour of Italy a couple of days back and is here for a couple of months. She will be your instructor for the program along with Kanazawa- sensei."

The participants gaped at her, they couldn't really believe it: it really was her. Of course they had heard of Ayame Daidouji: she was a violin prodigy, starting off as early as four years old. She graduated from Seiso Academy's Music department with the highest honours and went to France to study further. 25 years later, she was reputed as one of the most talented on the classical circuit, having gained worldwide fame.

Dressed in a form fitting white dress, set off by white peep-toe heels and a casual ponytail, showing off her long hair that almost reached her waist, she certainly looked her part. Bowing to the participants she began with a smile, "Well Akihiko-san does sometimes exaggerate. I teach kids in my free time and so when he asked me to help out with the concert, I gladly gave in. We will start off tomorrow, but introductions first if you don't mind. Seniors first," ,she said with a wink.

"Yunoki Azuma, Music Department, Class 3B. I specialize in the flute," said Azuma with a smile. His mood had lightened considerably just by being in the same room with this woman.

"How long have you been practicing, Yunoki-san?,"asked Ayame.

"Since I was six," replied Azuma.

"Was this the first instrument you played?,"she asked.

Azuma stared at her, dumbstruck. "I am asking because violin isn't my first instrument and I have a feeling that it isn't your first instrument either."

Seeing his shocked look she added, "Of course I may be wrong.." Regaining his composure he said, "Yes, it is my first instrument."

She looked at him for a second, and nodded, knowing well that he was not revealing everything.

"Hihara Kazuki, Music Department, Class 3B. I play the trumpet," said Kazuki cheerfully. When asked the same question, he said that he started playing from middle school. "You must play beautifully to be able to participate in the concourse." Kazuki turned beet red at her compliment.

"Believe me, I know how hard it is to get into it. I was a participant in my time here," she added.

"Tsuchiura Ryotaro, General Education department, Class 2-5. I specialize in the piano. I have been playing since I was five."

"Who's your favorite composer?", asked Ayame with a grin. "Chopin and Liszt.", replied Ryotaro with a smile.

"I love Chopin. His music seems to fill your heart."

" That's true", said Ryotaro.

'_She's captivating',_ he thought, '_even though she doesn't say much she can surely make someone feel calm and relaxed..somewhat like Kahoko.'  
_

"Hino Kahoko, General Education Department, Class 2-2. I play the violin", said Kahoko with a smile. She didn't feel at all uncomfy with her; in fact it felt good to see her again. "Should have started earlier _pronipote caro, _but it's never too late to start, eh? I am just glad that you are practicing music again," Ayame said with a smile.

"Yeah I guess I should have _zia, _but I didn't so it's really no use thinking about it. 'Never dwell on the past, work on the present and the future will be the result of your efforts'. That's what you used to tell me, remember?"

Ayame stared at her and then gave her a huge grin. "You remembered? That's good to hear!" Kahoko gave her a grin in return. The rest of them simply stared at them, not quite believing the fact that Kahoko knew her, _personally_..the famous Ayame Daidouji..

"Excuse me Daidouji-san, but do you two know each other?",asked Kazuki, not being able to hold back any longer. Ayame looked at Kahoko as if asking for her permission. Kahoko stiffened and was about to shake her head, but realized that she had already shown her familiarity with her and saying anything else that proved otherwise would have been a contradiction. She mumbled," Go ahead.." slumping forward in her chair.

Ayame looked up from Kahoko's slumped form and began with a smile,"Ok then..Kahoko happens to be my niece."

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: This happens to be my first fan fic. Please read and review, as a well rounded review is the reward author expects in return for her work. The last name "Daidouji" is inspired from CCS,as I am not very familiar with Japanese last names. Happy reading!!**


	2. Chapter 2: Revelations

Chapter 2: Revelations...

The afternoon sunlight flowed like a golden river, bathing the courtyard of Seiso Academy in beautiful hues of orange. A Second Year student stood alone at the entrance of the school, trying to gather her thoughts, after the events that took place an hour ago, hoping the twilight would help her in any way possible…

FLASHBACK

"WHAT!!!!"

Screamed out the remaining five former participants of the concours, Kahoko wishing for the umpteenth time that she hadn't forgotten where she was, starting off a conversation so freely with her aunt, slumped further into her chair(as if that was possible),her head in her hands.

"Hino-san sure kept that quiet...to think that she entered the competition with little experience..." said Azuma aloud.

"She DID begin playing last year, she hasn't even touched a violin before that, I know that..She did have experience with playing the..Sweetie do you mind me saying?" Ayame stopped in mid sentence, casting a worried look at her youngest niece, who looked pale as death. "If I don't say it today someone else will you know, and probably make you uncomfortable in the process..." _More than you are already at this moment_...Ayame thought silently. She waited patiently for Kahoko to respond. Kahoko looked up at her aunt and silently asked her not to reveal too much, while nodding, giving her consent. She closed her eyes and leaned back on the chair. Ayame beamed at her and continued, "As I was saying before, she had prior experience playing the piano. She started playing when she was five. Her father, that is, my brother taught her. She quit when she was nine, due to certain incidents, which I cannot elaborate upon, because I am sure Kahoko wouldn't like me to do so."

The people in the room listened, awestruck.

"Well then let's continue the introductions! First years left I believe?" Ayame said with a smile and clapping her hands together once, looking at Kira, who silently nodded. Though he held up a stoic look, he was as shocked by Ayame's story as everyone else in the room.

END OF FLASHBACK

_Her father, that is my brother, taught her..Dad.._She silently mused..

"The entire night will pass, sweetie, if you don't get moving soon." Kahoko looked up to find her aunt leaning against the brick walls that made up the school's gates, looking at her, with a smile on her face. "Let's get going, shall we?" She held her hand out as if asking Kahoko to hold it. Kahoko smiled at her and said, "Yeah, you're right, we should get going."

Half an hour later:

" The sunset sure is beautiful isn't it?" asked Ayame, noticing Kahoko hadn't spoken one word since they came to the seaside cafe. Kahoko was silently staring at her cream soda, evidently not in the mood to eat. "Is everything okay dear?" Kahoko looked up at her aunt and nodded, a smile gracing her lips. "Just thinking about Dad..It's been a long time since he..." She couldn't go on anymore, as tears fell unbidden down her cheeks. Soft hands rubbed off the tears gently. She looked up at her aunt to find her crying silently as well.

" I know. I miss him too." She said, making an effort to keep herself calm. "It's hard for me as well because I really loved him a lot..It's not always that you are born with a twin." A sad smile came on her face. " He's the one person I loved the most. I am so glad to know that you took up music again. I really loved your sound..It was so pristine and carefree. I am sure he would have been happy to know that." She finished with a smile on her face, a quiet, happy smile.

Kahoko smiled back. She had always felt comfortable with her aunt, her father's twin sister. She remembered those holidays back in Okinawa, the trips to the beaches in Sicily, the only time she went abroad. Her aunt's family, her cousins and her own family..those holidays were truly beautiful and memorable.

" I got something for you. Do you have your cell phone with you right now?" Asked her aunt, taking out and flipping open her cell. Kahoko said, "Yup! I have it with me. Why do you ask?" "Just open it, I am sending you a picture." Moments later a message showed up on her cell phone, indicating a multimedia file being received. She opened the file and found herself staring at her younger self: It was on one of their last trips to Italy, a year before her father died. She was half sitting on the sea side, one foot bent, holding her youngest cousin Aiyaka. The scene was truly beautiful –eight year old Kahoko, short hair swirling in the wind, hair held back from her face by a white headband, wearing jeans and a white top, holding her six year old cousin, both of them wearing toothy grins. The sight made her really happy. " Dad took it, didn't he?" Ayame nodded in response. "I was supposed to give you this years before, but things have a habit of taking unexpected turns, and I couldn't give it to you back then." "Thanks _zia.._." They spent the rest of the afternoon catching up on things, with Kahoko returning to her usual cheery mood. Both the red heads were unaware of three boys sitting near them, two green heads and a lavender haired guy, all three of them shell-shocked, more than they were that afternoon in the Music Classroom.

_THE NEXT MORNING:_

_Man, I just hope people don't know about zia soon...I am completely screwed today if anyone asks me a word about it today... _thought Kahoko worriedly, as she half-ran, half-jogged to school. Their conversation last evening was still prying on her mind. She had slept badly and could feel herself feeling exhausted already. _How the hell I am gonna last the entire day, I have no freaking idea..._she mused.

She breathed a sigh of relief as she reached the gates, believing she made it in time, AND also noticing that there were not too many people around. She snapped her eyes shut, taking in a breath…

"There she is!" shouted someone.

Her eyes opened instantly at the noise, suddenly finding herself surrounded by a throng of students.

"So is it true Hino -san? Are you really the niece of the famous Ayame Daidouji??" asked someone.

She turned ghost white at those words...when she suddenly felt someone holding her arm, pulling her away from the crowd…

**Author's note: Cliffhanger I know... I love them :D **

** I hope you like this chapter and a big thank you and a muah! to all those who have reviewed my earlier chapter. I hope yoy enjoy reading this one as well. And do review to let me know your views on this fanfic.. by the way, 'zia' is italian for aunt and 'cara mia' stands for 'my dear'. Happy reading!!**


	3. Chapter 3: Conversations

Chapter 3: Conversations

_So is it true Hino -san? Are you really the niece of the famous Ayame Daidouji?_

The words were ringing in her ears as she felt someone pull her away from the throng of students. She looked up to see Ryotaro pulling her into the bell garden. "You should be more careful, especially with all the rumours that have abounded about your family." Said Ryotaro, arms folded, facing her. Kahoko was looking at the ground, suddenly finding it a lot more interesting than to look up at him. "Care to explain why you didn't tell me you were acquainted with music way before the competition?"

Kahoko finally looked up and said, in a slightly quavering voice, "Look class is going to start soon, Tsuchiura-kun, why not talk about this later? See you later..." No sooner had she finished her sentence that she felt his arm gripping hers tightly, turning her to look at him. "You can't avoid this topic because I am going to have an explanation out of you. Besides, we still have 45 minutes to class, you are early today." At his words, she suddenly checked her watch to see that he was_ right_. She mentally kicked herself for forgetting that she had set her watch _forward_ by 30 minutes so that for once she could be on time at school…

"So, what could have compelled you to absolutely give up music? You are bound to have been good if you had been practicing for so long, from such an age." Asked Ryotaro, not letting go of her arm, though his grip had slackened considerably.

"You gave up too right Tsuchiura-kun?" Kahoko answered back, looking straight back at him. She suddenly noticed that their faces were inches away from each other and blushed at the sudden proximity.

He too became aware of the situation and let go of her arm, blushing as he did so, but he didn't move away. "I didn't. I practiced alone, so that no one would see or hear me play. You know that. Don't make excuses to me, Hino. Answer my question." Ryotaro was getting irritated with Hino refusing to give him a straight answer.

Hino looked up at him and gave a small sigh. She looked back at the ground and began, "All right...fine. You are right; you of all people deserve to know. I started learning the piano when I was five, as _zia_ said earlier. I stopped when dad died because I loved the way he made music and I didn't think I could make that kind of music without his guidance._ Zia_ couldn't really take his death, because they were twins and were very close. It tore her apart and she moved to Italy to start afresh. My grandparents moved there as well. Our financial situation started to worsen and well, taking music lessons was a bit too much to ask at that point of time. I got used to being without practicing music. Until I picked up the violin I really didn't realize how much I had missed playing."

She looked up at him to find him shell-shocked at her revelation. "I am sorry..." he mumbled. "Don't be." He looked at Hino to find her smiling at him. "I know this is kinda weird, but I actually feel better now that I told you. It's like a load off my heart. But please keep it to yourself. I don't want anyone else to know about this." He smiled back and nodded. "Your secret's safe with me. I am not telling a word of this." "We should get going. It's almost time for class…what?" asked Kahoko, seeing Ryotaro frown as he suddenly looked past her. She turned, following his line of sight, and came face to face with Azuma and Kazuki, standing behind her, grim looks on their faces.

Afternoon: Lunch break

_Whew lunch break…One hellish day alright…_thought Kahoko_,_ as she made to the rooftop of the Music Department

FLASHBACK

"Did you just hear me say that, Yunoki senpai, Hihara senpai?" asked Kahoko, her voice quavering under Azuma's unnerving stare and the somewhat unhappy look on Kazuki's face.

"We did." said Azuma.

Azuma opened his mouth to say something, when suddenly the bell rang.

"Eek! I will be late for class...well catch up with you guys later...bye!" Kahoko mentally thanked the timing as she darted past the two upperclassmen and rushed to the General Education building.

END OF FLASHBACK

_Saved by a hair's breath is the correct definition..._she clutched her hair in both hands and started shaking her head from side to side.._Oh why in the world did those two have to hear me...Hihara senpai hearing is fine, but why THAT guy!! _She stopped as she slumped to the floor of the roof, staring at the clear blue sky, having few white clouds. She began to immerse herself in her thoughts once more..._as if their hearing wasn't enough why did people in my department have to stare like that?? If it were not for Nao and Mio I would have been so screwed today..._

She gave a small sigh, and continued staring back at the clouds. _My future huh?? To tell you the truth zia I am not sure myself what the hell I am gonna do._

FLASHBACK

"So have you thought about what you are going to proceed with in college?" asked her aunt as she leaned back on her chair and took a sip from the cold crème coffee, her eyes on her niece.

"Yeah, well I have been thinking about proceeding with Archaeology. I visited Uncle Fujitaka a couple of weeks back, and I really liked the way he taught. He even let me sit in his class at the University, so that I could get a better perspective of things. Sakura-chan is really lucky to have a father like him...so patient and kind..." replied Kahoko, her thoughts drifting once again to her father.

"Yes, well, Fujitaka has always been that patient. But are you sure about your decision _cara_? Because something tells me that this is not what you really would like to do."

Kahoko looked up at her aunt, startled. She then broke into a smile. "You are really perceptive you know _zia_."

"As always." Ayame replied with a wink. "So are you taking professional lessons in the violin? Satsuki (Kahoko's mom) didn't quite elaborate on that, when I called her last week."

"No, but I am looking for a teacher. I was training under Ousaki senpai but he went to Vienna to take part in a competition. Tsukimori-kun, a classmate of mine, helped me out for a while, but then he went to Germany a couple of months back to study there. So right now I am looking for a teacher and practicing by myself." Replied Kahoko.

"Isn't Zaoyinu sensei here? I heard he was back." Asked Ayame, a bit surprised. "I haven't heard you play, but I am sure you have got that same sound as before." She stopped and suddenly found that some things don't add up. "What are you not telling me Kaho? Are you telling me that you participated in the concours without any formal training?" she asked in disbelief.

Kahoko sighed. Her aunt's ability to size up any situation never stopped to amaze her. "Yeah, you can take it like that..." she mumbled.

Her aunt just simply stared back at her in shock and amazement. Then she broke into a smile. "Well, I gotta say, it's in your blood, so I am not that surprised."

Kahoko looked at her in shock. "Well, those piano lessons from before helped a lot when it came to the sheet music. But what do you mean by 'It's in your blood'??" I know dad played the piano, but.."

"Your father was a _professional_ piano player. He quit because our grandmother didn't allow the both of us to pursue music." Ayame cut in. " He quit so that I wouldn't face any opposition when I wanted to take up music professionally. Actually he was my accompanist when I participated in the concours in my time." She said with a smile. " Satsuki didn't exactly tell did she?"

Kahoko felt numb. Slowly she shook her head.

"You still haven't answered my question,_mia cara_." Ayame asked her, jerking her out of her thoughts.

" I…I need to think, you know _zia_…"

END OF FLASHBACK

Kahoko sighed for what seemed like the umpteenth time, recalling her conversation with her aunt the evening before.

"Penny for your thoughts."

The voice jerked her out of her reverie, and she looked up to see Azuma,leaning on the wall, arms folded, a wicked smile on his face.

"Wha..wha..what are you doing here Yunoki senpai?" she stammered as she mentally kicked herself for being so oblivious to her surroundings.

"No one said that the rooftop was off-limits to the students. If that were so, then I don't think even you would be here, isn't that right Kahoko?" asked Azuma, with a wicked gleam in his eyes.

" I…I am sorry but my class will be starting soon , _.._" She got up as hastily as the words she had uttered and tried to dodge past him, but an arm reached out and wound itself around her waist, hauling her against his lean frame.

"What's the rush? It's still 15 minutes until break time is over..and at any rate, am I such bad company?" He purred softly, and looked straight into her eyes, as his free hand played with her hair. Azuma smiled inwardly at the effect he was having on Kahoko ,who looked like a red apple AND entranced.

His lips skimmed her neck, as he murmured, " The eternal escapist aren't you? I thought it was me you were avoiding, but no, it seems like it is second nature to you…escaping things…"

His words broke her out of her trance like state and enraged her no less. She almost pushed him back when she noticed someone standing at the door to the stairways, staring at them.

" Yu…Yunoki senpai?"

**Author's note****: Yay!! Third chapter done!!This is my longest chappie yet.. Tell me how you liked it, so do review..another cliffie, I know..I love them.. Tell me if I can improve on certain places and pass me any ideas you might get on reading this fanfic, I will try to incorporate them in the story. Happy reading!! :)**

**P.S. A big thank you once again to all those who reviewed my fanfic. **

oreofudge'DD

C. Isabel

sagitariusleo

astigzBFF07

**And yeah, I did mention some of the characters from CCS. This isn't actually a crossover story since they are just mentioned and not really involved in the story.**


	4. Chapter 4: Secret's Out

Chapter 4: Secret's Out

Disclaimer: I do not own La Corda D'Oro (I wish I did) but I am grateful to Kure-san for letting me play with her characters  .

"Yu..Yunoki Senpai? Wha..Wha..Wha..What are you doing t…to Kaho-senpai??" Shouko yelped out helplessly, flushing, as she stared at her two upperclassmen, locked in an embrace.

"Ah..Shouko-chan..you s..see.." Kahoko stuttered nervously.

"Hino-san here, tripped while she was getting up and I just simply happened to catch her before she hit the ground." Azuma lied straight forward, his fake smile intact. _What a lame excuse…_Azuma grimaced inwardly. He said as he let go of Kahoko, " Are you all right Hino-san?" "Y..Yes I am fine..Thank you f..for catching me, Yunoki-senpai." Kahoko stuttered yet again. _Bloody devil…_she mentally cursed.

"Oh..I see..anyways I came here because Kanayan is asking for all the concours participants to come to the Music Classroom. Hihara senpai said that he saw you both head up here, so I came to call you." Replied Shouko, her face showing relief. " Your homeroom teacher has been informed so you are excused for this period, Kaho-senpai."

"Ok…Thanks, Fuyuumi-chan. Let's go then." Said Kahoko walking towards Shouko and exiting the rooftop, followed closely by Azuma and Shouko.

Shouko and Kahoko chatted on their way to the Music Classroom, but Shouko's mind was spinning with all that she had seen, because unbeknownst to both her senpais, she had seen the entire exchange.

……………………………………….

"Since the final exams for the second semester are beginning in three weeks' time and the concert will be held at the end of March, it's not advisable to practice for the concert much right now. The exams end in two weeks. So that means you will have time to practice from end of February to end of March. Four weeks should be enough practice time." Said Kanazawa. Kanazawa and Daidouji were present in the Classroom, along with the rest of the participants. "I asked Ayame-san to choose the theme for the concert and you all will be choosing your pieces according to the theme, as you did in the concours."

Ayame spoke up. "The theme is 'Heartfelt melody'. Just a thought, but if you all could select your pieces from what you played in the concours it would put a little less pressure on the third years, as they have to appear for the entrance exams for colleges during the same time. Am I right?" she nodded to Kazuki and Azuma. Both of them looked utterly bewildered by her request. "Tha...That's really thoughtful of you, Daidouji sensei…" stammered Kazuki. They had never imagined her to be that thoughtful, even though they knew that she was a kind person. Ayame simply smiled in return.

"The venue has been decided upon. It will be held at Tokyo Opera House, and not at the school as originally planned." The students simply gasped at the idea. _THE Tokyo Opera House??? Holy shit!! _"You aren't the only one's performing. Ayame agreed to do a solo performance being alumni of the school, and Hamai Misa-san will be doing the accompaniment to all of your pieces as well as a solo and duet with Ayame -san." The students were shocked. None of them spoke a word. Ayame looked at their expressions and grinned broadly. "Now that's what I call 'shell shocked'!!"

Kanazawa laughed along and told them, "Don't worry, you will get used to it. Besides this is a great opportunity for you all, I am sure you know that. Here are the papers containing the details. Look it through carefully and start practicing, but don't flunk your exams. My head will be on the chopping block if you do so." He finished with a weary look on his face, rubbing his neck tiredly. All of them laughed at his expression. "Ok, now get going...we are done for today." Kanazawa waved them off, embarrassed.

……………………………………………..

_Heartfelt melody..hmm..hey that sounds more like the theme for the third selection..irreplaceable melody..oh man, selecting a piece and perfecting it without guidance is gonna be hard..maybe zia can help me out a bit..oh yeah she's the one who's gonna be instructing us..so stupid I forgot..of course I can ask her..but…can she help me? I am nowhere her level…_

" Kaho-senpai?"

The voice cut through Kahoko's random thoughts. She turned around to see Shouko standing behind her, a worried look on her face. They were outside the Music Classroom.

"What is it Shouko-chan? Is everything allright?" asked Kahoko, noticing the look on her face.

" May I speak to you privately senpai? There's still 10 minutes till class is over…and th..this is urgent…do you mind?"

" No I don't mind…hey!" Kahoko exclaimed as Shouko pulled her hand and literally dragged her to the music practice rooms. Azuma stared after them with narrowed eyes, making a note mentally to quiz Kahoko about this.

" Shouko-chan you are acting weird…Is everything allright? Anyways, what is it you wanted to.."

" I heard everything Yunoki-senpai said to you on the rooftop, senpai. I was there the whole time." Shouko cut through Kahoko's sentence as she locked the door of the room. Kahoko stared at her, mouth agape.

"Is he always like that when he is around you? Why does he behave with you like that?" Shouko blurted out. " I don't know how you stand it, and judging by what I saw then, I can say that this is not the first time Yunoki-senpai tried to take advantage of you…"

" You are observant you know Shouko chan.." said Kahoko , a wry smile gracing her lips.

Shouko smiled sadly at Kahoko, silently asking her to continue. " I discovered this side of Yunoki-senpai after the second selection. I thought so too, he was mean and all…but he has a lot of problems at home, with his grandmother and all. He always has to put up a façade when he's around everyone else. And he said it himself, that he has never deceived me after that. So I am glad that at least he is truthful to me, that I am not deceived, in his words. I..I don't usually react like I did today, y..you know…" Kahoko stammered on the last words.

"You are not a very good liar you know, Kaho-senpai." Shouko smiled at her. " The last part I mean, about you reacting.."

Shouko's sentence was cut short as Kahoko suddenly pulled her hands and clasped them in her own. " You must promise not to tell anyone about this. I don't want my social life destroyed. You know who I am indicating…"

" The Yunoki guard." Shouko sighed. " Allright, I promise. But you must make me a promise in return—that you will not allow yourself to be alone with that man, if you can help it. I don't care what problems he has at home, he just does not have the right to use someone like a toy, just to relieve his own tensions. Promise me."

Kahoko looked at her kouhai's determined eyes and gave a small smile. " You really do care about me a lot, Shouko. Allright I promise…I will try to avoid being with him if I can help it."

"Of course I care about you Kaho-senpai…after all you are the one who instilled confidence in me…and made me a bit more b..brave." Shouko shyly smiled back at her.

Kahoko gave her a wide grin and hugged her, who returned the hug. " Thank you for saying that ,Shouko."

……………………………………………………

_That was real nice of Shouko…well I need to warm up a bit…I will ask zia to help me out when I see her again…Zaoyinu sensei..you are pushing me way too hard…well I won't fail..just watch.._thought Kahoko as she made her way again to the roof of the Music Department.

Kahoko took in a breath as she readied herself to play. Being on the roof at the end of the day, playing her favourite pieces , was something that allowed her to relax, set her emotions and consequently, her thoughts free. It was a sort of stress buster, and a very effective one at that. She set the violin under her chin and got into position. Beautiful notes of _Sicilienne_ filled the air.

Ayame stood at the top of the staircase leading to the rooftop, her hand on the handle of the door, which was slightly ajar. She closed her eyes and listened to the beautiful music._ The music needs polishing…but it's undoubtedly, the same style of music she used to make before..oh, she missed a major note…but the rendering is heartfelt..I can sense the passion and determination in it…well, it won't be too hard to teach her because she has already got the two things you need to succeed as a musician…_

The last note hung in the air as Kahoko slowly opened her eyes, while drawing the bow across the strings for the final time. As she raised her bow, she heard clapping behind her. She whirled around to find her aunt smiling at her.

"_Zia?_ I thought you went home…Did you hear?" Kahoko said, a bit surprised to see satisfaction in her green eyes.

" You missed a major pizzicato and you didn't reach one of the bars right…you were putting too much pressure on the strings…ease up a bit more…it will help..but overall it was a good performance. I can tell you are a novice, but the passion you put in your music can be clearly felt. You need brushing up…but it might just work…watcha think?" Asked Ayame.

Kahoko stared at her for a moment, processing all that was thrown into her that moment, and finally smiled. " I need _a lot _of brushing up,_ zia. _I will not lie to you, I am saying this, it _is_ hard to go on without a teacher…"

" I am going to teach you………as long as I am here in Japan. And I will help you find a teacher before I leave, I promise." Ayame cut in. " You have the two things that a musician needs to succeed…in fact it is the success mantra to anything you do: passion and !" She suddenly clapped her hands and looked at her niece. " Have you decided on which piece to play yet?"

Kahoko nodded. " I want to play Tchaikovsky's _Melodie, _butI cannot do it without your help."

" By the looks of it, you have played it before right?" Ayame asked, noticing the evading look in her eyes.

" Zia…it's a real long story…and I don't think this is the place to discuss what you are thinking." Kahoko sighed.

" What am I thinking?" asked Ayame, not letting go of the topic.

" Would you believe me if I said that I used magic, or to put it in a better manner, was _forced_ to use magic and take part in the competition?" Kahoko asked, wanting to clear things up with her, once and for all.

Ayame stared at her, bewildered, and then gave a playful grin. " Well, if it has something to do with a fairy named Lily, I might as well believe you."

Kahoko looked at her, shocked.

" I met him…25 years ago…"

……………………………………………….

**Author's Note: ****Fourth Chapter DONE!! I hope you enjoy reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. The reason I update so fast is all thanks to you, the reader. When you read my story and leave an inspiring comment, or tell me ways to improve my fic, I immediately set to improve upon my mistakes…and well, ideas keep popping into my head all the time…so though it takes time to put those ideas into words, I love to write so it is not at all a problem. You know what to do once you finish reading this chappie…that green button begs to be acknowledged…So happy reading minna san!! ******


	5. Chapter 5: The Violin Romance

Chapter 5: The Violin Romance

Disclaimer: I don't own la corda except Ayame Daidouji…

"I met him…25 years ago…when I was participating in the interschool concours. I was in my second year then. I overslept that day, because I had been practicing too hard, too long and too late in the night. Your father tried waking me up that morning, but didn't succeed. He just let me sleep in that day." Said Ayame, walking forward to lean on the rails, and continued with her story to an utterly bewildered Kahoko.

"I woke up soon enough and realized I was getting late so I just simply ran. Then I remember tripping and falling down near the statue of the fairy at the entrance of the school. Because I was sure that my mind was playing games with me. A real, miniature form of that thing near the entrance. Impossible."

She patted the place beside her, beckoning Kahoko to stand beside her. "We had lots of chats after that, though at first I considered him nothing more than a headache, believe me." She rubbed her temples after finishing. "So is your story anything like mine, Kaho?"

Kahoko muttered lowering her head, "More like déjà vu…except for the practice part…Though…" She continued, raising her head, and looking at her aunt straight in the eyes, with a smile, "I have him to thank for opening those closed doors to me, breaking down the walls I had created around my music. It felt like I was liberating my heart when I first played on this magic violin, though it is not one anymore, because the strings snapped during the third selection, when I couldn't control my emotions. I guess I am happier now that I am not lying to anyone about my ability and am really giving it my best shot."

Her smile changed to a sad one as she said, "You must consider me a liar, for not being able to get in the competition on my true talent."

"I don't." she looked up to see Ayame smiling at her. "Have you ever considered why Lili chose you and not anyone else?"

Kahoko shook her head in reply.

"Well, we both know that Lili is a musical fairy and that he had blessed the original founder of the school. He possibly thought that since you could see him, you must have some sort of musical ability. He wanted you to feel the love and spread it through music. And you ended up falling in love with the violin, am I right?"

"Man, you should have been a psychoanalyst and an astrologer! But, yeah, you are right, as always..." replied Kahoko, wide-eyed.

Ayame chuckled gleefully at her response. "It's only a theory! But hey, it does come handy when it comes to raising those four hooligans!"

"Yuki and Yuka can be a handful allright. Even onii-san to an extent. But Aiyaka isn't like that at all. She more...uhm…" said Kahoko, not sure about the choice of words at the end of her sentence, taking care not to make a stray comment about her cousin.

"Bossy?? Yes, that word fits her good allright. But try saying it to her, and she will deny it vehemently. Though I would say that I am damn glad she is like that…she manages to keep her onee-chans' under control, something I failed to do, I am afraid. They are always joking and having a fun time with me, which I love, of course, I don't deny it…but I wish they would listen to me a bit more. You know I don't like to shout…and Aiyaka uses that method only." She chuckled. Kahoko laughed in response.

It was always fun to hang out with her aunt. She never behaved in a motherly manner to her, yet she loved her a lot. That's why even after her aunt moved to Italy, they would correspond regularly. It was a bond Kahoko cherished, more so because she was her father's twin sister. To her it felt like she had a piece of her father near her.

_She really reminds me of Dad...they are so alike and still so not…I am really glad I have her near me…_mused Kahoko as they spent the next hour chatting, admiring the golden sunset and Ayame giving her tips to improve her playing.

……………………………………………………………………………

"WHAT!!!"

"Don't make that face Kaho-chan! You of all people should know! After all, she is _your_ aunt. And not just any aunt, but your blood relative!"

They were seated in the bell garden having lunch. Kahoko, her two best friends, Nao and Mio, and Amou Nami, the press club reporter, and her close friend.

Kahoko almost choked on her sushi roll when Nami uttered those words.

"The violin romance is named after…WHO???"

"Come with me, I will show you the proof." Said Nami as she got up and began to lead the way, pulling Kahoko with her, while Nao and Mio followed them excitedly. Nami went into the press club's headquarters. (**A/N: The same room where Kahoko went to return Nami's lost negatives and where they heard Kanazawa singing in the tape in the anime.) **She closed the door behind her and pulled out a big book, battered looking, while motioning them to sit.

It was old scrapbook, evidently a sort of diary, where all the important dates and events were noted, complete with photographs. Nami selected out a particular page, and pulled out the photograph in the page. She handed it to Kahoko saying, "Check THAT out!"

It was a group photograph of all the concours participants of that year…25 years previously. Kahoko recognized her aunt in the front row, standing with another girl with short blue hair, smiling at the camera. Her eyes widened when she saw the guy behind her aunt—her father.

"That blue haired girl happens to be THE Hamai Misa, Tsukimori Len's mom, then a piano major in her third year. That's your aunt beside her, as you have already guessed…her hair was a lot shorter back then. Behind your aunt is YOUR dad, Hino Akitaka. He was your aunt's accompanist during the concours, but was chosen to compete even though he was from the general education department. That is the only instance in Seiso academy's musical history that a Gen Ed Student participated in the concours. The next instance being you, and consequently Tsuchiura-kun. The guy beside your dad is Daidouji Takeshi, who was a violin major in his second year. Now, though, he happens to be…"

"My uncle." Kahoko finished for her.

Nami nodded in response. "The story is that they found a fairy behind the school who granted them a wish. Though they were both competitors, they fell in love and got married after they graduated. Apparently Daidouji-kun and Hino-kun didn't go along together very well, the reason of dispute being your aunt. You father obviously was worried seeing his sister falling for a guy whom he didn't trust. But eventually he realized that she was happy just being with him, and that Daidouji-kun really did care for her. That's the violin romance for you. Though I don't quite believe the fairy part. What do you think about it, Kaho-chan?"

Kahoko was quiet the entire time, allowing her mind to carefully take in all that Nami had thrown at her. She jerked away from her thoughts when Nami questioned her, and replied, "That seems kinda far-fetched, don't you think so Nami-chan? About the fairy part, I mean…"

She bravely met up Nami's questioning glance and tried not to show the rush of emotions through her heart.

Nami observed her and then gave a wicked smile. "If you say so, Kaho-chan…"

The bell suddenly rang, sparing Kahoko from the reporter's questions---an opportunity Kahoko took full advantage of saying she had Maths next, rushing out of the room.

……………………………………………………………

"Your elbow should be a bit on the inside, don't pull it out so much…and honey relax, you still have a couple of months till the big day! Okay then, let's start again!"

Kahoko was practicing at her aunt's apartment near the beach. It was the ensemble piece _Eine Kleine Nachtmusik _that all the concours participants were practicing for the concert. Though the piece required two violins, a viola, a cello and an optional double bass, Ayame and Kanazawa had changed the piece a bit so that all the instruments played by the participants could be accommodated yet not make the melody awkward. It had worked so far, with Kahoko doing quite well, yet still missing out on some of the major notes. She was thankful that her aunt had been infinitely patient with her.

They had practiced the entire afternoon and though the piece was not perfect, it sounded melodious. She had made every participant play their part separately, correcting their mistakes in the process. When it sounded more or less allright she made them practice as an ensemble.

Her aunt had been keen on making her improve, because even though her music was beautiful, it was still not upto par. And the occasion was big.

After a couple of hours of practice, Kahoko had gotten most of the notes correct. Her aunt smiled at her. "It sounds much better now. Technically it's fine now. What you have to do now is make it sound a bit more grand. We can work on it next time. That should be enough for today, it's already getting late. Let's freshen up for a bit before you go home. Will ice tea do _mia?"_

Kahoko nodded in response. "If the honey is bit on the more side that would be great,_ zia._" She smiled.

Her aunt looked at her for a moment and smiled back at her. "Sure, know, Aki used to like his iced tea the same way."

They went to the kitchen to make some tea, with Kahoko helping her out. "You are awfully quiet today. Did something happen?" Kahoko looked up to see her aunt staring at her, a worried expression on her face.

"I heard that the violin romance is after you and _zio. _Is that true?"

Her aunt turned a shade of red the same colour as her hair. "You heard, huh?" She gave her an embarrassed grin.

Kahoko stuck out her tongue playfully and gave her a grin. "Gotten all the details. The fairy part is true, that I know." She answered.

"Yeah, well... Uhm, doesn't that up the pressure on you a bit?" She winked at her.

"What??!?!? Wh..Why should the pressure be on me???" Kahoko stuttered, looking wide-eyed.

" Tsukimori is the one who taught you after Ousaki left,huh?"

It was Kahoko's turn to blush. Her aunt smiled widely at her reaction. " You like him, don't ya?"

"He's a real nice guy…but that doesn't leave me any chance with him…he is so good…I am nowhere near his level. In fact I loved his melodies. I just wished he stayed a little bit longer…" Kahoko mumbled incoherently,lowering her head to hide her blushing face.

"It's about love, and for someone like him to coach a beginner like you, no matter for how short an expanse a time, speaks volumes for itself, don't you think so?" Ayame asked her, smiling.

She looked up at her aunt and considered her words. She then smiled back at her. " But how did you know about Tsukimori-kun? I didn't mention much about him to you!"

"I learnt about him from Zaoyinu-sensei." Ayame answered, watching Kahoko closely for her reaction.

Kahoko's eyes went wide. "He TOLD you??????????"

Ayame nodded. " He also said that he had struck a deal with you, and that if you fit his conditions, he will take you in and train you. About Tsukimori, he said that he had himself told him that you were the first person whom he respected."

Kahoko rubbed the back of her neck tiredly when she felt her face starting to burn up again. "I…I don't know what to say…" She mumbled again.

" How about you tell me about the deal you struck with Sensei?" Asked Ayame, enjoying the scene, but feeling that she had embarrassed Kahoko enough for the day.

Kahoko took in a deep breath and answered, " He said that I will have to give a flawless performance at the concert, in both the solo and ensemble recitals. That is condition 1. Condition 2 is that the people who will be coming to listen should give positive reviews about my performance in the review cards that will be given to them. He has asked for 90% positive views. Condition 1 is something that I can control, about condition 2 I hope I impress them enough, otherwise I have no idea what I will do."

Her aunt looked at her thoughtfully, and smiled. " Well then, you know what to do."

Kahoko smiled back at her and nodded.

……………………………………………………………………..

**Author's note****: Fifth chapter completed...Whew!! I apologize for taking so long to upload the chapter. I have rejoined my karate classes after almost a year , and did well on my first day back, I can say that without conceit. But the consequence is that I have pulled the muscles on my shoulders, legs and arms, so I was in bed, trying to recover. Am better now, though I am trying to avoid walking. Enough about me!! About this chappie, I have mentioned a few new characters. They will not have a major role because I don't want to complicate the fanfic. Yuka,short for Yukari, and Yuki, short for Yukina, are twins and second born to Ayame. Aiyaka is the youngest .Yuka and Yuki are of the same age as Kahoko, and all three of them share the same birthday (I hope this bit of info is not too OOC… :S). Do tell me how you liked the fic, and leave a review. As I always say, Happy reading!! **


	6. Chapter 6: Practice Makes Perfect

Chapter 6: Practice Makes Perfect

Disclaimer: I don't own La Corda D'Oro…you already know that…

Note:

I selected the piece _Eine Kleine Nachtmusik _by Mozart for the ensemble performance because I absolutely love this melody. It is one of the most famous pieces of music ever written. A literal translation would be "A Little Serenade" but "A Little Night Music" is the better known and more popular translation.

A little bit of information: A double bass (pronounced double _base_) looks more like the cello, but is larger and incidentally the largest member of the violin family. It is also known as _contrabass _or _upright bass._ It is a standard member of the string section of the symphony orchestra and smaller string ensembles in Western classical music. It is also the lowest pitched member of the violin family. It can be played using a French bow or by plucking the strings.

The morning breeze seemed more enticing than ever as Kahoko walked down the street, violin case in hand, to go to her aunt's place. _If only I could wake up this early every morning…_she sighed.

It was the end of February and all the concours participants were asked to practice together for the ensemble piece. They would be doing it at her aunt's place, primarily because it had three large soundproof practice rooms. The other reason was that the director, Kira Akihiko would be present today to check on their progress. They would be doing it once a week. Also she would get to hear the solo pieces.

Since all the exams were over the first years and second years were getting a lot of free practice time, but the outgoing third years were busy preparing for the college entrance exams. It could be said that the meeting was specially conducted so that the third years could get some proper practice time. Kahoko smiled at her aunt's thoughtfulness.

She got down from the bus and headed to the beachfront house. Dressed in a short denim skirt and white dress-style shirt, with a black jacket wound around her waist, she was about to ring the doorbell when she realized that the ocean looked too tempting in the morning. _I should sink my feet in the cool water before going in to practice…_she thought.

She made her way to the beach and took off her sandals. As she let the gentle waves wash over her feet, she saw a red haired woman looking in her direction. Realization sunk in a few seconds. "_Buon giorno, zia." _Ayame nodded to her in response and asked her in a playful tone as she made her way to Kahoko, "You are up early! You were never an early bird I remember!"

Kahoko pouted in mock anger, and then stuck out her tongue playfully. "It was too tempting to not get up early. The morning is so beautiful!"

Ayame agreed with her. "One of the reasons I got the house at the oceanfront is because I love the sunrise. Back in Okinawa, where your father and I were raised, we would get up early just to watch the sunrise and the morning ocean. Even though your father loved sunsets more and I was never a morning person."

She looked at Kahoko and smiled at her. "You are the one who is most like Aki, amongst all of your siblings."

Kahoko suddenly couldn't find words and could feel her throat constricting. Talking about her father was still hard for her, because not only was he her dad, but also her teacher when it came to the piano. Playing the piano with her dad was some of the things that she cherished most. Even though he would be busy with the family business, he would always find time to teach her. Her older sister would play the cello while she, her father, and her older brother would be play the piano.

There was a lot of sacrifice involved when her father passed away. Even though her sister was a budding musician, she gave up the cello, because she felt it was her duty to support the family as the oldest of the three siblings. In fact her sister was a graduate of Seiso Academy's Music Department. But she turned down the scholarship Seiso University offered her, and instead majored in English from Tokyo University. After that she went to work for an advertisement agency. Since she was very creative in nature it was not a problem for her. She had definitely carved a niche for herself in the ad world. _But is she truly happy, having to give up something you love so much? _She would think silently.

She had once seen her sister looking longingly at the cello in her room. She still played it, but not to her heart's content. _Things would probably have been different had Dad lived…_

"Tell me a bit more about Dad, _zia."_ Kahoko looked straight into her aunt's eyes. "I want to know what kind of a person he was, more importantly, I want to hear your perspective of him, as his sister."

Ayame was slightly taken aback by her question. She had definitely not expected Kahoko to ask her that question. She smiled at her and then looked out at the ocean. She began,

" Fun-loving, happy and a carefree person…that's how I describe him. Although he never showed he was carefree, because, in his words, 'The both of us can't be carefree. One has to be a bit more serious.'" She chuckled lightly.

" He loved music. He could play the piano before he could properly walk, Mum tells me these days. He was the one who helped me practice when I picked up the violin. That's why when we were in our second year at Seiso, he was my accompanist in the concours. Even though I knew many piano majors, I chose him because I was most comfortable with him and I knew that my best performances would always come if I performed with him."

"Uhm.._zia_..why was Dad in the General Education department? From what you are telling me, he could have easily gotten into the Music Department." Kahoko asked, curious.

" He did. He changed departments in our first year. It was mostly because of our grandmother." She sighed, running a hand through her long red hair, which was unbound that morning. " She was worried about the fact that both of us were serious enough to pursue music as a career. Mostly because of the family winery business. She asked us to give up music. Aki struck a deal with her that I be allowed to pursue music as a career while he would give up the piano and support the business as she wished. I vehemently opposed the idea, but he wouldn't take no for an answer. I don't blame my grandmother for it much either. She was merely thinking about the fate of the business that she and grandfather set up. Blood and sweat went into making it successful and she didn't want anyone outside the family to control the business. Regarding my brother, I think participating in the concours drove away some of the resentment he felt on that."

" He was absolutely an overprotective person. If I went home with my friends it was well and good, but if I didn't he would always accompany me home. I have to admit it kind of pissed me off, but then I allowed him to do it just because I loved him."

She continued, "I still miss him. Probably because I was born with him and that feeling is different. When you have a twin, it feels like he has a part of your soul and vice versa. I know that that part of my soul is lost forever."

She looked at Kahoko and was shocked to see her crying and smiling at the same time. "Thanks for telling me that, zia." Ayame wiped away the tears rolling down her face.

"Y..You know…I am glad you are here for sometime more." Kahoko stuttered. "I feel that with you near me, I have a piece of dad with me." She smiled radiantly at Ayame.

" Same here." Ayame smiled back.

" We should get going. You need to practice on your solo piece before the others arrive at 9." Ayame said, before turning around to head back to her apartment.

"Right-o!" Said Kahoko happily.

She let the wind mess up her hair once more, before taking a last look at the sunrise and turning from the ocean.

------------------------------------------------------

She raised the bow again, after finishing her piece. She was in her aunt's place, practicing her solo piece. Kahoko looked at the wall clock; 8:04 AM . _Almost an hour left till the others arrive…_she thought silently.

Her attention turned to the shining black grand piano at the centre of the practice room. She put down the violin and the bow on a table, and walked slowly towards the piano. Kahoko gently touched the instrument and let out an audible sigh. _So many memories…_

" It would not hurt to play, you know. Maybe after playing it you can concentrate better on the task at hand."

The new voice made her turn around. A young girl, of around her age, with waist length black hair, was standing at the door of the room, smiling at her.

"Yuki!!" Kahoko ran to give her cousin a big hug, who returned the hug. " You heard?"

" Yeah… I could tell your mind was not in it. _Melodie, _right??" Yukina asked, letting go of her.

Kahoko nodded in response.

" Play the piano." Kahoko was about to shake her head when Yuki interrupted. " It will help, trust me."

"On one condition though." Kahoko answered.

"Name it." Yuki responded at once. " You do my accompaniment after this. I need to perfect my piece. I cannot afford to slack off as just now." Yukina looked at her sister thoughtfully and then nodded. "Deal."

Kahoko turned away from her sister to look at the piano again. Then she took small steps to it. As she sat down on the piano seat, she slowly raised the keyboard cover and stared at the keys again.

"Face your fears. Once you overcome this, there is nothing that can stop you. You should know that." Said Yukina as she took a seat to hear her perform. Kahoko looked at her and then gave her a small smile.

" I pray you are right." She whispered.

A small touch on a key let out a beautiful sound. It encouraged her to play even more. Soft notes of _Fur Elise_ emanated from her touch and filled up the room in its beautiful melody as she watched her old skills come back, even after years of not practicing. Yukina closed her eyes to concentrate on her heartwarming melody. _She should never have given up…this is the music that she used to make so many summers ago…_she thought ruefully.

Kahoko closed her eyes as she let her heart take over her mind. She didn't need to look at the keys, she knew it as the back of her palm.

As the last notes faded in the air, she opened her eyes. She had never imagined that she would be able to play again after what happened to her father. Tears started to build up in her eyes.

" You alright, sweetie?" Yuki asked, walking towards the piano, worried about her. Kahoko nodded in silence. "Was it alright?" Kahoko asked in a choked voice.

" Alright?? That was damn good, babe!!" Yukina winked at her, giving her a thumbs up and a toothy grin. Kahoko couldn't help but laugh at her expression. Somehow, her sister made her feel a lot better just with a look or a word. Yukina was such a cheerful personality, the people around her just couldn't help but be affected by her.

" So how about your end of the deal huh?" Kahoko asked playfully. Yukina gave an audible sigh in reply and rubbed the back of her head. " Alright, alright…but mind you, I might make some mistakes, I don't practice much these days."

" YOU of all people will not make a mistake, I know that…and you saying not practicing much probably means that you don't practice more than an hour. Isn't that right??"

Yukina sighed again and then mumbled, "You and Mum are the same."

Kahoko laughed as she got up from the piano and picked up her violin from the table and readied herself into position. As the piano started playing and the bow drew gently across the violin, playing the first notes of the piece, a beautiful sound was created.

…………………………………………………..

" You been here long, Hino?" asked Ryotaro as he entered the house. Kazuki, who was behind him, let out a low whistle, as he looked around the place. " This is fabulous!" He exclaimed.

Kahoko let out a giggle as she answered Ryotaro. " Yeah, well, I can't practice at home, so I came early so that I could brush up for a while before you guys came."

They decided to practice in the living room , which had a beautiful redwood piano at one side. The director sat at the sofa along with Kanazawa. Ayame motioned them to start at the third beat. At her signal, they started together---no awkwardness, no late starts, nothing. It sounded melodious, even with the slightly contemporary twist of having the clarinet, the flute and the trumpet in it. A smile graced Ayame's lips…_Kahoko does seem to be enjoying herself, and is a lot more relaxed. _

…………………………………………………………………..

After a couple of hours, the piece seemed perfect. Even though they started at the same time each time and didn't miss a beat, still there would be some mistakes---most of them coming from Kahoko, although it could be seen that she had put maximum effort to correct her mistakes. When they played it perfectly in the last attempt, it sounded absolutely beautiful, so good that even the director could not help but smile while Misa, Kanazawa, Ayame and Yukina clapped.

"How about a break, huh?? Then we can start off with the solo pieces." Ayame suggested. The others agreed with her enthusiastically. "Make yourself at home." She smiled at them. "Yuki, honey, give me a hand, would ya?" She called Yukina, who got up immediately. "Sure thing, Mum."

After they came back with some snacks, Yukina spoke up. "So, Kanayan, do you practice still? I took your advice and it payed off. My voice sounds much better right now."

Kazuki looked surprised as Kanazawa sighed uncomfortably. "Practice, who Kanayan??? And Daidouji-chan, are you a singer?" Yukina nodded. "I am training to be an opera singer. I thought my level was that of a lyric soprano, because I couldn't really control the contralto and the pitch of my voice. Then Kanayan taught me some practice methods he used to use when he was an opera singer in Vienna. It really paid off and I now know for sure that my voice level is that of a soprano, not a lyric soprano as I earlier assumed." Yukina finished, getting some startling stares from everyone except the elders. Kanazawa sighed again.

"What?? Didn't you know?? Hey Kanayan, why didn't tell them before??" Yuki admonished him, who sighed yet again, this time rubbing the back of his head. Suddenly a mischievous glint appeared in her eyes. She clapped her hands together as she got up and said, "Well, no time like the present to show off your skills!" She dragged Kanazawa to the redwood piano, even as Kanazawa kept on complaining. "Hey…I haven't practiced in while, you know…Yuki-chan, you really are too much." He looked into Yukina eyes and noticed her determination. He sighed as he gave in. "What's the piece?"

"Finally, you are shaking the dust off! It's Andréa Bocelli and Sarah Brightman's duet _Time To Say Goodbye._ Is it allright with you?" Yukina asked, happy that she had atleast managed to force him to sing.

"Yeah, that's good with me…I like the piece a lot." Kanazawa relied with a smile.

"Mind if I do the accompaniment??" Misa asked with a smile. "Sure Hamai-san! I would love it!" replied Yukina enthusiastically. Yukina actually wanted Kahoko to do the accompaniment but decided against it, considering the fact that it would be too much on her mental condition, to play in front of everyone else.

Hamai Misa started the accompaniment on Kanazawa's signal. Yukina closed her eyes as the song poured out of her lips:

_Quando sono solo_

_Sogno allorizzonte_

_E mancan le parole_

_Si lo so che non c? luce_

_In una stanza_

_Quando manca il sole_

_Se non ci sei tu con me, con me._

_Su le finestre_

_Mostra a tutti il mio cuore_

_Che hai acceso_

_Chiudi dentro me_

_La luce che_

_Hai incontrato per strada_

_(When I am alone_

_I dream on the horizon_

_And words fail;_

_Yes, I know there is no light_

_In a room_

_Where the sun is not there_

_If you are not with me._

_At the windows_

_Show everyone my heart_

_Which you set alight;_

_Enclose within me_

_The light you_

_Encountered on the street.)_

Yukina reached the high and low notes effortlessly, showing off the depth of her voice. She opened her eyes to reveal stunning hazel orbs as she continued:

_Time to say goodbye_

_Paesi che non ho mai_

_Veduto e vissuto con te_

_Adesso si li vivro._

_Con te partiro_

_Su navi per mari_

_Che io lo so_

_No no non esistono piu_

_Its time to say goodbye._

It was Kanazawa Hiroto's turn. _Time to bite the bullet_…he thought. He took a deep breath as he sang:

_Quando sei lontana_

_Sogno allorizzonte_

_E mancan le parole_

_E io si lo so_

_Che sei con me con me_

_Tu mia luna tu sei qui con me_

_Mio sole tu sei qui con me_

_Con me con me con me_

_(When you are far away_

_I dream on the horizon_

_And words fail,_

_And yes, I know_

_That you are with me;_

_You, my moon,_

_are here with me,_

_My sun, you are here with me._

_With me, with me, with me,)_

_Time to say goodbye_

_Paesi che non ho mai_

_Veduto e vissuto con te_

_Adesso si li vivro._

_Con te partiro_

_Su navi per mari_

_Che io lo so_

_No no non esistono piu_

_(Time to say goodbye,_

_To countries I never_

_Saw and shared with you,_

_Now, yes, I shall experience them,_

_I will go with you_

_On ships across seas_

_Which, I know,_

_No, no, exist no longer;_

_With you I shall re-experience them)_

Then they sang together. It filled up the heart of all those who heard them:

_Con te io li rivivro._

_Con te partiro_

_Su navi per mari_

_Che io lo so_

_No no non esistono piu_

_Con te io li rivivro._

_Con te partiro_

_Io con te._

_Time to say goodbye_

_(I will go with you_

_On ships across seas_

_Which, I know,_

_No, no, exist no longer;_

_With you I shall re-experience them._

_I will go with you_

_On ships across seas_

_Which, I know,_

_No, no, exist no longer;_

_With you I shall re-experience them._

_Ill go with you,_

_I with you.)_

When they finished, there was astonishment in the students' faces. Then came a thunderous applause. Yukina took Kanazawa's hand and they bowed together. "Don't tell me that doesn't feel good, Kanayan!?? I, for one, loved to sing like that!" There was a huge grin on her face as she looked up at him. He couldn't help but smile back at her. _Her nature's truly infectious, like Hino…_he mused silently.

……………………………………………………………

The next few hours were spent uneventfully, with the participants practicing and perfecting their solo pieces. As for Kahoko, the only mistake she made was not reaching one of the bars completely. Other than that she played flawlessly.

"You were great, Daidouji-san!" gushed Kazuki. Yukina rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment, but smiled back. "Thanks senpai, I am glad you liked it. It happens to be one of my most favourite pieces actually."

They were preparing to leave after almost six hours of practice. They had lunched there, for Ayame would not take no for an answer. She had Kahoko and Yukina to help her, and the boys did not want to feel guilty of putting the pressure on the girls to cook for 11 people, so Ryotaro and Kanazawa helped the girls out. They enjoyed the meal a lot, most of the time was spent chatting away.

It was around 3 when they left. Kahoko bid her aunt and cousin goodbye and walked to the bus stop with the guys.

" Oy hino, you got free time right now? For a couple of hours?" Ryotaro asked her as they walked.

" I am sorry Tsuchiura-kun, but no. Okaa-san asked me to come home early because she had some errands to run in the afternoon. I am really sorry…another time maybe?" Kahoko apologized to her.

"oh..that's ok then…actually Hihara-senpai and I were planning to try out a new restaurant nearby so we thought you would like to come along… but that's fine…there's always next time, ne?"

Kahoko nodded with a smile, and waved them goodbye as her bus had come. She got up and seated herself near the window. She then pulled out her CD player from her bag and started playing _Per Amore _by Andréa Bocelli. She closed her eyes and relaxed into the cushion as she let his voice soothe her mind and nerves.

Her bliss ended when she felt soft hands rubbing the sides of her arms. She jerked up to look into startling eyes, which seemed to smile down at her. She opened her mouth to say something but words failed her.

" Ohayou, Kahoko."

**Author's Note****: 6****th**** chapter done! This is absolutely the longest chapter I have written till now; I take back when I said that the 4****th**** chapter was the longest. About the music in this chappie, **_**Time To Say Goodbye **_**is a duet sung by Italian tenor Andréa Bocelli and English soprano Sarah Brightman in 1996. The song was recorded with the London Symphony Orchestra and was sung as a farewell to Henry Maske, a German light-heavyweight champion. The song **_**Per Amore **_**was recorded in 1993. I hope you enjoy reading it, as much as I loved writing it. Do leave a review, and lemme know how you liked the chapter. Happy reading!!**


	7. Chapter 7: A Day Out

Chapter 7: A Day Out

She looked up into startling red eyes and a rowdy bush of deep purple hair. He was smiling at her, not just the eyes, but truly smiling, as he wrapped his arm around her petite form and continued caressing her arms.

"Etou-san?!?!?" She said disbelievingly, and squirmed against him as she tried to free herself from his grasp. "You don't like it? I did tell you I liked you enough. Oh well…" Etou Kiriya sighed and let go of her, but continued sitting beside her.

"All I remember is you saying that you don't like my music!" Kahoko said angrily as she tried to sit as far away from him as possible.

Kiriya looked at her with serious eyes. "I did take back my words, Kahoko. And I did say that I don't regret listening to you the first time you played. Your playing is undoubtedly unpolished, but different in its own way. I mean good different, not bad different."

Kahoko looked at him, astonished. "You never supported my playing before! I do like the way you play though, wish I could be like that…I know I have said this before…" She looked into her hands on her lap as she spoke.

Kiriya's eyes widened on hearing that. Then he smiled at her. "You need time. You will be good." He ruffled her hair playfully. She looked at him, shocked. _Etou Kiriya of all people, giving me what seems like a compliment?? _

He looked at her expression and laughed. "I can give compliments sometimes, you know. Especially since you do like the way I play." He continued smiling at her. Then he changed the topic. "So how is your training with that guy going on?" Kahoko answered, "Well he left to study in Germany. My aunt is teaching me right now."

"Anyone I know?" He asked. Kahoko went stiff for a moment. "Okay…so it _is_ someone in know." Kahoko shook her head. "I am not telling." He looked at her curiously. Then he sighed. "Allright, fine. As you wish. Do you need pointers in anything? I heard that the concours participants are taking part in a promotional concert for the school. I am thinking what will happen to the school's reputation if you are to play like that…"

His sentence was cut off as she glared at him angrily and got up. "My stop is here. Goodbye, Etou-san." _Him praising me…what was I thinking?? Bloody idiot…_

She got down and started walking in a huff. She stopped when she felt an arm around hers. She turned back to see Kiriya, holding her arm, an amused expression on his face. "Let me walk you home." He didn't stop to hear her say anything after that. He simply took her hand in his and walked to her house.

"Your temper down yet, Kahoko?" he asked her. "Do you mind letting go of my hand, Etou-san?" He looked at her and smiled mischievously. "I don't mind holding it. You shouldn't either." Kahoko glared at him before looking away. _The gall of this guy…I would have hit him with my case if only I knew that it wouldn't be damaged that way…_she thought, getting irritated.

"So do you wanna practice tomorrow? I don't mind, my exams are over and I have free time." He asked her. She looked at him and sighed. "If only you didn't rub it in, I would have said yes." His expression was unreadable when she looked up at him.

"Allright then I will see you tomorrow. Meet me at the park tomorrow at 10. Don't be late." He said as they stopped in front of her house. Kahoko looked at him disbelievingly. "I didn't say yes! Besides, you didn't apologize."

His eyes widened at her words. Then a smile graced his lips as he suddenly pulled her into his arms and kissed her on the cheeks. A very wet kiss it was as well. They stood like that for what seemed like eternity to her. He then put his forehead on hers and said, "Will that do for an apology?" He smiled widely at her reaction---eyes widened in disbelief and cheeks flushed with embarrassment. He then let go of her and turned on his heel to go back. But before he left, he turned back and said, " I apologize. You really look lovely today, and I couldn't resist that, Kaho. Well see ya tomorrow!" He waved and went in the direction of the bus stop.

Kahoko stood rooted to the spot. "Was he drunk????" She mumbled at his retreating form.

"No I am not and I am aware of what I did." She looked up to see him standing a few feet away from her, his profile half-turned from her. He laughed at her expression and left.

She shook her head to clear her thoughts before going inside her home. _Tomorrow is going to be one long day…_she sighed inwardly.

………………………………………………………………………….

The alarm rang, blaring it's irritating tone, as Kahoko pulled the covers further up her head. "Oh man, I just went off to sleep!!! What's the goddamn time?!?!?" Sighing in defeat, Kahoko slowly peeked out from under the covers and shut the alarm off. Seeing the time, all sleepiness disappeared; 9:15 AM.

"Oh shit, I gotta meet Etou-san at 10!!" She exclaimed as she sat up. As soon as she sat up she felt tired. If truth be told, she had only gotten sleep at 4 AM, because she had been tossing and turning, thoughts on Kiriya and his actions the evening before. Determined to get up, she pushed herself towards the bathroom to freshen up.

Kahoko was dressing when her mother shouted from downstairs. "Kahoko, are you up yet? A friend of yours is here to see you!"

"Coming!" She almost ran downstairs thinking,_ who could be here today?? Can't be Mio or Nao, mum knows them. _She stopped at the bottom of the stairs, staring at her "friend". It was Kiriya.

"Good morning, Hino-san. Are you ready to go?" Kiriya enquired pleasantly.

"Y…Yes… I am ready to go. Thank you for picking me up, Etou-san." She passed him to wear her shoes. "Bye, Okaa-san! I will be home by evening." She said to her mother, who was standing there.

"Alright. Have fun!" Her mother gave her a wink.

She stared at her mother and sighed. "Kaa-chan, this is not a date---"

Her mother cut her off. "Oh, you don't have to explain to me!" Kahoko sighed in exasperation and exited the house.

"What exactly did you tell my mother??" Kahoko asked, once they were on the street. Kiriya looked at her and said, "Nothing much. I just told her that I was going to help you practice, and take you out after that."

"You WHAT??????????? How could you do that????" Kahoko almost screamed at him, losing her cool, not caring for the strange stares everyone gave her. Kiriya gave her a toothy grin and answered, "Well, I don't mind your company. I don't think you do much either, do you? Atleast that's what I believe after last evening."

She looked away from him, because she could feel her face heating up. He gave a low chuckle, after bending down and seeing her red face.

As they came to the crossing they halted. "Where are we going? I thought we are going to the park."

Kiriya answered, "We are going to my place. I am not going to take any responsibility for your novice playing if you play in that manner. After I hear you play and help you out, we will go to the park and you can play solo."

She winced internally at the ridicule, but said nothing.

………………………………………………..

Her eyes widened on seeing the apartment. It was beautifully furnished, with high ceilings, complete with a grand piano at one end of the living room.

"Let's go to the practice room." Kiriya led the way. "You have a practice room as well??" Kahoko squeaked out. Kiriya nodded. "That was one of the main reasons why my uncle bought this place. It's soundproof as well, so no one would be disturbed when and if I practice late into the night."

"I see…wait, you don't live with your parents??" Kahoko asked, noticing he omitted something. He suddenly grew stiff at her question. "No." he grew quiet after that and she didn't enquire any more, especially since he didn't want to elaborate.

The practice room had the same design as the living room, and it also had a grand piano at one end of the room.

"Let's start." Kiriya said, breaking Kahoko from her reverie. Kahoko nodded as she took her violin out and started playing _Melodie_.

As the bow drew across the violin, producing the first notes of the piece, Kahoko closed her eyes to concentrate. Kiriya kept his open to examine her playing stance. _Her posture is correct…the hand should be a little more raised…her hands…they are so soft._ He suddenly jerked himself awake from those thoughts. _Dang! What the hell am I thinking? But yeah, she is damn beautiful, though I don't believe she realizes it as yet._

As she finished her piece, Kiriya nodded towards her. "It was quite good actually, but you need to raise your hand a bit more. Remember that the bridge of the violin should be parallel to the bow that is drawn across it. I think you missed the—uhm, 10th and the 16th beats, right?" he asked, now consulting the scorebook. Kahoko nodded. "No matter how hard I try I can never reach those bars right." She said dejectedly, looking at her violin.

"That's because you are putting too much pressure on the strings. And also you have to make the beginning sound a bit more grand. Let me show you…."

The next couple of hours was spent perfecting the piece. When she played the piece according to his instructions, it sounded beautiful. Kiriya gave her a wide grin, something that astonished her. "That was fast, Kahoko. Your playing may not be upto par, but you are surely a fast learner." She smiled back in return, not noticing that his breath caught in his throat just at the sight of her.

"Wanna grab some lunch? We can practice in the park after that." Kiriya asked her.

"Sure!" She replied happily.

………………………………………………

"That was really good! Thanks for the duet! Maybe we should play together some time, it would really be nice." Kahoko said happily to Kiriya, who was standing beside her, and who looked equally astonished by her words, if not more.

They were near the ocean, letting the cool waters wash their feet. It was almost sunset and it had been a long day. They had lunch at a nearby restaurant and Kiriya would not let her pay. Then he surprised her by doing a duet with her at the park.

Kahoko looked out into the evening ocean, the sunset bathing it in hues of orange. _She looks so happy…_Kiriya thought to himself. He then rubbed his neck and began, looking out into the ocean, "I was five when she died."

Kahoko looked at him questioningly, and then she understood what he was talking about. _His mother. _"She was a violinist, like me. In fact, she was my first teacher. Her music was always heartfelt, something I craved to achieve. But her death made it hard for me. My father, out of depression, started drinking. One night he was heavily drunk and was coming home, when a truck hit his car. He died instantly. That's when Uncle Akihiko took me in. I continue to practice mostly because I feel it keeps me closer to my mom." He smiled at her wearily.

She looked away, tears blurring her vision. _Here he is, having lost BOTH his parents, but still practicing the violin… yet still I cannot make myself play the piano without having painful memories back._

Her musings were cut short as he slowly rubbed the tears off her cheek, and ruffled her hair. "Hey, it hurts I know, but I am not crying, why are you…"

He stopped mid-sentence, realizing suddenly that he had awoken some painful memories in her, when she looked up at him. Then she smiled at him.

"You are really brave, Etou-san. You remind me of my dad. I used to play the piano when I was younger, and he was my teacher. When he died, I really could not take the flow of emotions and I stopped playing. Mostly because the memories hurt a lot, and I was a kid. My sister tells me 'face your fears', but it is easier said than done. But I tried playing it the other day. I have to admit, it felt really good. Even though I love the violin more." She smiled on seeing his astonished look.

"Don't tell please. I don't want to give people reasons because that is a closed chapter for me and I want to move on." She looked at him pleadingly, and he smiled at her, silently promising to keep her secret.

"So what was your mother's favourite piece?" She asked, smiling back at him.

"'s S_alut D'Amour. _It's an easy piece but I really like it…hey what are you doing??" Kiriya asked, seeing Kahoko walk back from the ocean and open her violin case. "Want to play a duet?" She asked, getting into position. Kiriya was baffled by her request, but then smiled at her. "Sure." He replied.

As the notes started emanating from the gentle touches of the bows on the violins, a beautiful music was created. Every note seemed as clear as crystal, one could _feel_ the notes as they heard it. When they both finished, they were greeted by the sound of applause from the crowd that gathered to hear them. Both of them bowed together, and Kahoko smiled warmly at him.

Unable to resist any longer, Kiriya tilted her chin up and bent down to capture her smile in his lips, shocking her in the process.

Unbeknownst to both of them, one guy, whom they both knew very well, stood clenching his fist, staring at the kissing couple.

**Author's note****: Whew! Chapter no. 7 complete! As many of you readers may have realized, this fanfic is nearing it's end. I have not decided upon how many more chapters I will be writing, but it will not be more than two. I put up a poll on my profile page, which asks whether you want an epilogue to this story or not. So please vote and lemme know your wishes. About this chappie, I was completely influenced by the latest chapters of the manga, so I added my little touch to it. Etou's character is nice, a little shady so he seemed perfect to be introduced here. About the music,**_**Salut d'Amour**_**, Opus 12, is a musical work composed by****Edward Elgar****in 1888, originally written for violin and piano. He composed it as an engagement present for Alice Roberts, to whom he was engaged and originally named it '****Liebesgruss', which means 'Love's Greeting' in German. Personally, it is one of the most beautiful pieces of music I have heard till date. After reading, press the big green button and type a few words about the story and your opinion on it. Happy reading!!**


	8. Chapter 8: Matters Of The Heart

Chapter 8: Matters Of The Heart

Disclaimer: I don't own la corda...if I did Len would have confessed already…

Note: My sincerest apologies for the late update!! My net service has been teasing me like Azuma teases Kahoko. Enjoy!

The pristine morning light came in through the open windows and translucent curtains, making the room glow in its magic. A certain red head woke up at the light falling on her shut golden eyes. Kahoko sat up on bed and looked at the time; 6:15 AM. She sighed. _Just a couple of hours of sleep…man, what's happening to me? _She thought worriedly. Even though the incident took place around four weeks ago, it was still fresh on her mind.

Warning: Flashback contains bits of lemon. For those who cannot digest such things, I would suggest you skip this part.

FLASHBACK

_Her lips are so sweet,_ he thought as tasted her smile in his lips. He dropped his hand from her chin to caress her neck, as his other hand, holding the violin and bow, wrapped around her waist, pulling her against his tall frame. He did not give a care about all the people staring at them, but only to the girl who was in his arms at that moment.

Kahoko was shocked beyond comprehension. _Has some ghost or devil possessed this guy? Oh my, that feels so good…_she thought as she began to lose control over her thoughts. She mindlessly slipped her arms around his neck, taking care not to hurt him with her violin while doing so. He pulled her off the ground and to his height, tightening his grip on her waist.

After what seemed like eternity, they broke apart. Kiriya stared into her eyes, mesmerized. Then he moved to hug her as he whispered into her ears, "I know I am not the one in your heart." His words broke Kahoko from her reverie, as she hugged him tightly and snuggled into his shoulder, feeling guilty about her actions. He responded by tightening the hug, while running his hand through her unbound red hair.

It was almost an hour later that Kiriya walked Kahoko home. Her small hand was in his much bigger one, he had refused to let go of it earlier and Kahoko found out that she did not have the heart to refuse him. He looked ahead straight, not a trace of emotion on his face while Kahoko kept her head bowed, her mind a slurry of emotions._ I am completely clueless when it comes to my own heart…I thought I liked Tsukimori-kun, but then why did I allow Etou to kiss me?? And it takes two to tango, I responded back! Kami-sama, what the hell is happening to me?!?!?!_

"Kahoko."

His voice cut through her random thoughts as she looked up at his face. He smiled at her and gently ran his hand through her hair. Kahoko felt herself blushing at the contact.

"I am not asking you to go out with me, because I know you belong to someone else." Kiriya said, as she looked at him in shock. "Then why did you d...do that???" She squeaked out.

"Are you saying you did not like it? Because that's not the impression that I got an hour ago." he asked mischievously, as he cupped her cheek and brought his own near her face. She blushed at the sudden proximity and tried to remove his hand, but he read her thoughts faster. He slid his hand from her face to the nape of her neck as his right hand kept the violin case down on the pavement. He then pulled his right arm round her waist and hauled her against him. He looked down at her as she tensed up against him. "Relax. I won't do anything." He smiled down at her.

At his words, the tension in her disappeared. She gave a small sigh and rested her forehead on his chest, hands clutching his jacket front. "To tell the truth I have no idea of what I feel. If I really do like him so much then I shouldn't have allowed you to kiss me, no matter what.I…"

The rest of her words were drowned when his mouth descended on hers. _He's really good…_she thought as she found herself melting into a puddle in his arms. All sense evaporated under his gentle touch as he pressed his hand onto the small of her back. She gasped at the contact while he deepened the kiss. All too soon it ended as he withdrew and gently pressed his lips on her forehead.

"I am not the one to say 'I will wait forever for you' because I will not. But if you are ever in need of someone to confide in, I am always here for you." She stared into his gleaming red eyes before pulling his face down to plant a kiss on his cheek. "Thank you Eto—Kiriya." She smiled at him. He was surprised at her calling him by his given name but he gave her a hug in gratitude. "It's past 6 PM. You should go in before your family get's frantic. I will call you tonight, if that's alright with you." Kiriya said, letting go of her. She hesitated but then she gave him a small nod and took out her cell phone to take his number.

They exchanged numbers and he was about to leave when she caught hold of his arm. "Wait, won't you leave me home?!? You said you would!"

He gave a small chuckle as he turned back and turned her around. Her jaw hit the ground. They had been standing in front of her house the whole time. "Did we just…" she stopped in mid-sentence, blushing as she realized what she was about to say.

He chuckled. "Yeah we just made out in front of your house." Finishing her sentence for her, as she went a deeper shade of red. He took the opportunity to hug her from behind and give her a kiss on the neck.

"Good night Kahoko. We will talk later." He bid goodbye and went off in the direction of his own apartment.

Kahoko stood rooted to the spot as she took a deep breath and readied herself to go inside the house. _Something tells me I am gonna have to think for a long time about this, _she thought resignedly.

END OF FLASHBACK

"Why can't I simply decide who I like more? Whether it's Kiriya or Tsukimori-kun!" She shook her head for the umpteenth time as she sat on the bed gathering her thoughts. The incident with Kiriya happened over a month ago. Since then he had taken her out sometimes for a movie, sometimes to the amusement park or sometimes to his apartment to hear her play. Although she had perfected the piece he just wanted an excuse to be with her. They had not kissed after that, because Kiriya knew that he should not make things more difficult for her than they already were. She would talk to him at night and found him to be a really good friend but Kahoko just could not decide whether she wanted him as a friend or something more…

………………………………………………………………………

There were only one day left for the concert and the participants had been practicing very hard. Kahoko and Shouko were feeling particularly jittery because they had never done anything like this before.

Kahoko ran top speed to the station to catch the train to Tokyo central, taking care not to trip or fall in her hurry. They would be practicing at the Tokyo Opera House, before the concert tomorrow. The practice would begin at 2 PM after lunch and they hoped to reach by 12.30 PM. Everyone was supposed to be there by 10.45. The train was at 11 AM and it was already 10.40. _Five minutes!_ _Man, why I can't I get up early when it really counts?? _She screamed frustrated inside her mind.

Nights seem to go away real fast and when she would wake up she would always feel tired. Days were spent in practicing at her aunt's apartment, alone and with the others, and nights were spent restless because often after talking to Kiriya late in the night, she would feel guilty about leading him on while still being unsure of her own feelings. Sure as hell, it was driving her nuts.

She drew away from her thoughts when a black car stopped in front of her and out from it stepped the man she least wanted to see at that moment--- Yunoki Azuma.

She groaned inwardly at his sudden appearance. _Why does he HAVE to appear at my lowest moments???? _She cursed inwardly.

Sensing her thoughts he smiled at her and said, "Good morning Hino-san. You are running late. Do you mind if I take you to the train station? It would be faster this way."

Kahoko sighed inwardly and nodded silently, knowing full well that he would create a scene in public and blame it on her if she refused. "Thank you for your thoughtfulness, Yunoki-senpai." She said in response. She got in the car and looked out of the window as the chauffer revved up the engine when Azuma spoke, "Seems like you can never be on time for anything, Kahoko. What were you doing last night, talking to your boyfriend so late that you forgot you had a trip in the morning?"

On hearing the first part of his sentence, her blood boiled. But all anger evaporated and she became numb on hearing his question. "Geez, Kahoko, you could have at least told me you were dating someone."

She slowly turned to look at him, her face showing no emotion, but her eyes betraying her. "What the hell do you mean, Yunoki-senpai? I am not seeing anyone, and if I did I would always tell you guys."

It was Yunoki's turn to stare at her sarcastically. "Would you now? That is good to hear. So, then, kissing a guy on the beach, in public, is just past time I assume?"

His sarcasm disappeared when she looked straight into his eyes, anger visible in her golden orbs. "What I do in my personal life is NONE of your business. And I don't think you are a very good person to judge me either, who sees me as nothing more than a toy to provide him with some enjoyment." The air around them seemed to fill with electricity.

She looked out of the window again, effectively ending the conversation. Azuma fought to recover from the intensity of her words. _My, my…she does have quite a temper. But…why do I feel so restless? Maybe because she has never spoken to me like that…Should it matter? Heh, I don't know why I can't keep my rhythm around her._ He smiled to himself and said nothing more. The rest of the journey to the station was engulfed in electric silence.

When Azuma asked her about Kiriya—she knew it was about him, because he definitely had seen her that day—she had enough. It was way too much, with her evident restless condition, that he should throw those biting remarks casually at her. She simply snapped. She did not know what came over her to react like that to an upperclassman, but she knew that she had enough of his teasing and that even _he _should know his limits.

……………………………………………..

Kazuki whistled as they entered the concert hall. It was beautifully designed and truly majestic. The low lights enhanced the beauty of the place all the more.

"Sure is grand…" Ryotaro said, looking around the opera house.

"Uhm…Kaho-senpai, have you performed before in something like this?" Shouko asked her upperclassman nervously. Kahoko, who was looking up awestruck, examining the delicate woodwork on the ceiling, replied, "Not in this level actually. I used to do my sister's accompaniment when I was still playing the piano, so we took part in many competitions, but never in this level."

"You mean for your older sister or for your cousin, Daidouji Yukina?" asked Nami, who had accompanied them that morning. She was covering the entire event for the school's Journalism Club.

Kahoko looked at her, and answered with a smile, "Both actually. Onee-chan's best friend would do her accompaniment most of the time, because I would be doing Yukina's almost always."

Nami looked at her thoughtfully and asked her, "Any plans of continuing with the piano, Kaho-chan?" Kahoko seemed somewhat shaken by the question and then shook her head warily, aware that all the participants as well as the teachers were looking in her direction.

"That's a shame, because from what I heard, you have inherited your father's innate ability at the piano." Nami said, further heating the situation. "And you were what we call a prodigy. Which also means that you can still play, is that right?"

"Wha…where did you hear that??" Kahoko shrieked out. She couldn't believe she was hearing this. "Old records." Nami said simply. "I did some digging but I eventually found out that you were good at the piano, way _too_ good to be _exact_."

Everyone simply stared at her open mouthed. They had never expected Kahoko of all people to be so talented at an instrument, the same Kahoko who knew so little about music.

"I think I have embarrassed you enough, Kaho-chan. We should continue with the practice, right Kanayan?" Nami said to Kanazawa, who simply nodded.

Kahoko simply sighed and wondered what was to come next, given that the school's prime reporter was delving into her past. She knew that Nami would not give up so easily and that she would be pressing for more details once she got back from practice.

……………………………………………….

"Oh man that was hard!" exclaimed Kahoko as she leaned back tiredly into her bed. They were staying at a hotel, courtesy of the school, and she was sharing the room with Shouko and Nami. It was past 8 PM and they had been practicing for six hours non-stop.

"So, Kaho-chan, wanna give me a full detail or should I dig more?" Nami asked Kahoko mischievously. Kahoko groaned in response and covered her face with her hands while Shouko kept silent._ Does she not care for how much this could hurt Kaho-senpai? _Shouko thought silently. Nami was sitting on Kahoko's bed, hell bent on getting her to admit her hidden prowess.

Kahoko sat up and gave Nami a challenging look. "Prove to me that your details are correct. Then I will tell you what you need." Nami gave Kahoko a toothy grin and said, "Certainly. I do not have any problem whatsoever. Though I should have known that you would not go down so easily."

Nami got up from her bed and went to the overnight travelling bag she had kept beside her own bed. After rummaging for a couple of minutes, she pulled out a folder and a couple of CDs. She beckoned Kahoko and Shouko to sit on her bed while she opened the folder. Kahoko looked at the contents of the folder scandalized: her elementary school file.

"I was visiting my grandmother in Okinawa after exams got over and I went to your old school, Kaho-chan. It was marvelous truly, the amount of information I unearthed." Nami had a dreamy look in her eyes.

"H…How could you just go and rummage through my files huh? The student council would never have allowed this!" Kahoko asked disbelievingly.

"Well, the present elementary student council board knew of you of course, but they told me to visit the high school student council board, because the members there had worked with you when _you _were in the council board. Am I right?" Nami asked, Kahoko merely nodded in response while Shouko was stunned to silence.

Nami read from her file. "Name: Hino Kahoko. Class: 5C. Talents: piano and equestrian. Currently a member of the Clamp School Elementary Student Council board. Designation: Vice-president and chief advisor to the president. The president of the board at that time was Imonoyama Nakoru-san, am I right?"

Kahoko asked in a small voice, "Nakoru agreed to this? I don't believe it."

Nami answered, "Well, I told Imonoyama-san that you had taken up the violin, and that I had heard of you playing the piano. He is an absolute feminist I tell you. He began to talk about your talents, after I promised him not to print this in the journal without your consent." Kahoko looked at her in surprise. "A promise I wish to keep. You are my friend first Kahoko, even though I would love to print this out as this can catapult me to heights unbelievable."

"What more did Nakoru tell?" Kahoko looked at her, slightly relieved. Nami answered, "Well, he said that you were a champion at equestrian, something you loved to do. Your cousin brother, Suoh Takamura, who is also in the council, was only beaten by you. In fact he showed me a couple of video tapes of you performing in a competition representing the school. It was prestigious one as well, and you won it, despite that being your first competition solo."

"I never performed solo before third grade, mostly because I felt that I was not trained enough. Dad convinced me to take part, and well, Suoh and Nakoru backed my decision. It will be denial to say I did not like it because I truly loved the moments I performed. I felt like I was made to perform." Kahoko answered, opening up, while leaning back on the headboard.

Suddenly a crash on the door made the girls turn around. The door opened wide, revealing the boys, who had been listening in. Kazuki had lost his footing and had crashed on the door while the others fell on top of him because they had been leaning on him. Kanazawa, who was standing behind them, merely scratched his head and sighed.

"Too curious for your own good, eh? Well, since you are here, why don't you join us?" Nami winked mischievously in Kahoko's direction, who looked back at her in absolute shock.

"Uhm…Nami-senpai, what are these?" Keiichi asked Nami, nodding towards a large envelope inside the folder, once all of them had taken a seat.

"Oh, thank you for reminding me Shimizu-kun! These are the pictures that were taken during the competition Kahoko participated in third grade, during the equestrian competitions and well…just pictures. Imonoyama-san was kind enough to give them to me. Half of them were taken by him, as I got to know…by the way, how come you are on first name basis with him? Even he addresses you as Kahoko- senpai!"

Kahoko smiled at her. "Well, we have known each other for quite a while, he really did not appreciate calling by last name. We are friends after all." Kazuki shifted a bit uncomfortably in his place on the floor on hearing that.

"So you are still in touch with him, ne?" Nami asked, handing the pictures to Keiichi and Kazuki.

"Yeah, though he hasn't contacted me in the past month. They have got exams right now, and well, being in the student council does take up a lot of their time." Kahoko answered.

"Whoa! This is a surprise!" Ryotaro exclaimed looking at the photographs. The pictures included shots with her horse, Kahoko smiling up gaily at the camera standing beside it. There were also group photos of the school's equestrian team. There were also shots of the four members of the student council. Kahoko's hair was a lot shorter and her messy bangs were held away from her face by a white hairband.

"Wanna see the shots from the competition? Imonoyama-san let me have a copy from the original video tapes." Nami asked, and not waiting for a reply, got up and switched on the DVD player. She completely ignored the shocked look on Kahoko's face. Shouko tried calming her down by rubbing her back, to little avail.

The screen came alive with the camera first showing the filled hall and the MC announcing Kahoko's name, who was the last competitor. "That was in the first round." Kahoko mumbled, looking at the screen.

They watched in awe as Kahoko's younger self strode in and bowed to the crowd before taking to the piano. Dressed in a light purple dress and ballet shoes, she didn't look at all tense. Taking a deep breath, they watched as she closed her eyes and touched the black and white keys. Soft notes of _Fur Elise _emanated from her touch. Everyone could sense the passion and yet the calmness about her when she played on it. Four minutes and fifteen seconds of pure bliss and stunned silence from the crowd and the people in the hotel room.

The crowd broke into a standing ovation to the young performer, who looked absolutely stunned by the attention. Then she gave a heartwarming smile as she bowed to the crowd once again, taking her leave. Then the screen returned to the menu options as it showed the selection of events recorded on it. Nami turned to check the atmosphere of the room and laughed. Everyone was gaping at Kahoko, who was rubbing the back of her head, embarrassed, with a tiny smile on her face.

"Want to see the finals? It's even better!" Nami exclaimed while she pressed the play button. This time it was a recording of the entire competition, with Kahoko performing second last. This time though she looked a bit nervous. The students watched as the camera drifted backstage where a blond haired boy was trying to calm down his jittery senpai, which was Kahoko. Then a voice came from behind the camera, "Kaho-senpai, you don't have to win, you just have enjoy what you are going to play. No matter what you place, you know we are rooting for you."

The girl gaped at the camera in disbelief before a warm smile graced her lips. "Thank you so much for saying that, Akira-kun. I will try my level best."

"I had a high fever the day before I remember. The first time I went on stage, I was hooked. I loved every moment of it and worked very hard for it. When I caught a fever, I was afraid—not that I would not win, but because I could not perform to the best of my abilities. To me performance and consequently enjoying myself mattered more than winning. If I had given my best in something and enjoyed it at the same time, I would sleep happily that night even if I didn't win. I guess I just needed a few words from Akira to calm me down." The present Kahoko said.

"Ejuin Akira, right?" Nami asked. Kahoko nodded in response. "He was the treasurer of the student council at that time and well, one of my closest friends, even though he was three years my junior. He's also the current treasurer of the high school council."

"I met him there. In fact he says that he was very upset when you stopped playing the piano." Nami said, hoping she would reveal something more.

"Well, he plays the double bass, and we would play in quartets sometimes. He loved the way I played, and I taught him to play the piano. The reason I don't know much about music is because I gave up when I was nine, so I dropped the chance of learning more."

They turned back to the screen which showed Kahoko again, entering and taking her place on the piano. Everyone stared in shock as she played Mozart's _Rondo Alla Turca _with ease and grace. The piece was not easy for a seven year old, with the quadruple stops and all, but she played with absolute precision. And one could tell that she was enjoying every moment of it. Three and a half minutes in heaven.

"So! Are you sure you will not continue with the piano, Kaho-chan? I personally think you are better at the piano than at the violin!" Nami said with her usual bluntness after the recording was over.

"Well, I had three years of practice before I even participated in a competition, so I was better at it." Kahoko responded somewhat uneasily.

"We should go for dinner now, it's getting late ne?" Ayame cut in from the doorway. Standing beside her was Hamai Misa, a look of surprise on her face. Her eyes pierced Kahoko's for a moment and then seemed to soften as she turned away from the door.

…………………………………………………………………….

"I used to help Yukina with her singing. We used to tune in together. I have to admit, it was a lot of fun." Kahoko told them. It was long after dinner and the three of them were sitting in the balcony, enjoying the wonderful spring air.

"Do you think your father would have liked it that you gave up something you loved so much and were so good at, Kaho-senpai?" Shouko asked her.

Kahoko remained silent for a while before answering. "I believe not. To tell the truth I did play the piano recently. It was at my aunt's place. And I will admit this: it felt as exhilarating and wonderful when I play the violin."

"You shouldn't stop. You should take it up again. Even though you will not give up the violin, which I know already, it will greatly improve your music." Nami said. Seeing the astonished looks of her room mates, she shrugged and said, "It's human psychology. Once you do something you loved and return to your daily work, it will seem a lot more fun than usual. It's simple really, nothing much to explain."

"It's getting late. We should turn in. After all it's gonna be a big day tomorrow." Nami said looking at her watch.

"You guys go ahead. I am gonna stay here for a while." Kahoko replied, leaning on the rails. The other two nodded as they got up. From the door of the room Shouko called out, "Don't be too late, Kaho-senpai."

Kahoko smiled at her kouhai. "I will be there soon, Shouko. Thanks." Shouko smiled in return.

Kahoko turned her gaze over the city skyline. _Tomorrow's performance is for someone special. Someone who has helped shape my music to what it is today…_she smiled thoughtfully to herself.

**Author's note****: This chappie took a bit of thought. Writing lemon is hard, I have no idea how people write M rated fics! :S There will be an epilogue, people…I haven't given it much thought but I have gotten positive responses for it mostly so I will be making one. As for the music, I mentally debated with Beethoven's **_**Moonlight Sonata **_**but ultimately decided upon **_**Rondo Alla Turca**_** because Beethoven's piece was seemed to fit Tsuchiura's character and Mozart's piece seems to suit Kahoko's personality better: joyful yet intense. I mentioned the characters of Clamp School Detectives here because I felt that through them I could explain Kahoko's talents and past better. My freaking net service is truly driving me mad. To pass time I have been proofreading the story, this being the 8****th**** time I have done so. Please R & R…the green button wants to feel your touch ;p. Happy Reading!!**

**P.S.**** A big shout out for all the people who have reviewed my story:**

C. Isabel, emjhey, sagitariusleo, yuuyeuko, Debatri, Jhorokak, Soumi, Trisha R., animeswissmiss( I left the dots out of your pen name since the stupid server doesn't recognize it), oreofudge 'DD, Pathetic Rainbow, stellar24, MixedAznChik, Shiraiyuki, TomeOfTheNightSky, Titpom1.

**Sukhriya!**


	9. Chapter 9: Di Commune Accordo

Chapter 9: Di Comune Accordo

Disclaimer: You and I both know that I don't own La Corda D'Oro…*Sigh*

Note: Apologies for the late update!! Enjoy the chappie!

.

.

.

.

.

_A beautiful sound…I have heard of this before…Schubert's Serenade…but it is not on the violin or trumpet…It's being played on the piano…you have always played like this…I wish…I wish so much that…_

The alarm went off, blaring its irritating tune, and amazingly enough, Kahoko did not bury herself more into the blankets, but reached out an arm to shut it off while sitting up on her bed.

The memory came flashing back, as she put a hand on her temple in an attempt to steady her thoughts. _Too many wishes…I thought I would feel so much pain, and yet I don't feel as hurt as before…_she thought. She smiled slightly, as she looked over to the red violin case on a side table nearby.

She got up from the bed and looked at the clock; 5:30 AM. _Wow…to think I actually managed to get up early one day…_she thought.

After washing up, she went over to the violin case and took out her violin. She looked over at the other occupants of the room. Shouko and Nami were still asleep. Shouko would be awake in another fifteen minutes, Kahoko knew that. She went out to the balcony and breathed in the morning air. It was truly refreshing and not too polluted, even though Tokyo was one of the most polluted cities in the world.

Kahoko put her violin under her chin and got into position. Notes of Schubert's _Serenade _filled the morning air. She closed her eyes, concentrating on the melody. When she finished, she took her violin down from her shoulder, and sighed as she ran her finger along the golden string that she loved so much.

"That was beautiful, senpai." Shouko's voice cut in on her thoughts. Kahoko turned around to see Shouko standing at the door of the balcony, a smile on her face, her hand on the open door.

She smiled back at her. "That was my dad's favourite piece. He had his version though, as he played it on the piano."

"You are dedicating your performance tonight to someone, right?" Shouko asked suddenly.

Kahoko looked at her astonished, and then smiled wistfully. "You are really perceptive, Shouko-chan."

Shouko smiled back at her. She said as she walked out into the balcony, "I can tell, by the look you had before, while you were playing, that you wanted to play, not only for yourself and the spectators, but also for someone who you wished were here. Am I right?"

Kahoko smiled gaily at her. She nodded in response. _I am going to make you proud of me tonight…_she thought determinedly.

………………………………………………………….

Kahoko looked at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. It was two hours until the concert, and they were getting ready for it. They had practiced three hours in the morning and were sure that everything would go well. Ayame and Kanazawa insisted that they don't push it too much, otherwise they would not be able to give it their best shot when it really mattered.

She looked at the slightly damp hair falling a little below her shoulders and smiled at her reflection. She was wearing a royal blue coloured tube dress, which ended a little below her knees and flared out softly. The dress had a gold sequined belt on the waist area and the skirt portion was layered. She pulled up her hair into a French twist and fixed the bun with an ornate clip.

The bathroom door opened to reveal Nami, who was wearing a red halter neck dress. She entered the bathroom and looked over Kahoko, and then gave her a wide grin. "I did not know you could do up your hair like that! Quite nice, I must say!" Kahoko blushed at her words. "Thanks, Nami-chan. Onee-chan taught me how to do it up." Nami nodded in approval. "Let's do your makeup now. You don't need much, but a little touch would definitely help. Just a thought, but I think the boys will have to concentrate _a lot_ on their performance tonight." Kahoko went an even deeper shade of red, as Nami laughed at her expression.

……………………………………………………….

"Now, don't be nervous, you have put a lot of effort in it, so there is no reason for anything to be screwed up. Good luck! Er…Yuki, is everything allright?" Ayame asked her daughter, who had a worried expression on her face, and was fidgeting every now and then. Yukina was NEVER a fidgeting kind of person, it was so unbecoming of her.

Yukina looked up at her mother and answered, "Shoji-san isn't here yet. The concert starts in less than fifteen minutes and the second gig is mine. It's kinda worrying." Shoji Megumi was selected by the director to do her accompaniment.

Suddenly Ayame's phone started ringing. She flipped open her phone and answered, "Hello? Yes, she is here…what????? Oh dear, all right, ask her to get some rest and not worry. We will do something about it. Thank you…yes….goodbye." Ayame shut her cell and let out a sigh. _Can anything ever go smoothly??? _She thought getting irritated.

She looked up to see all of them staring at her. She looked at Yukina and said, "Yukina, your accompanist met with an accident. She is all right, but asked you to be informed immediately that she could not make it tonight. Apparently, she broke her left arm."

Yukina looked at her mother in shock. She did not even think that she would be having the introductory performance, after Hamai Misa's solo performance. She was only doing the performance only because the singer who was supposed to do the part, Kanon , withdrew at the last moment because of a throat ailment. Since her level was that of a soprano and she had already done a few performances at national level back in Rome, the director requested her to do the part. She had been peeved because she had gotten only two days to prepare for the song, while it normally took her four days at least to perfect a song. But since the song she was going to perform was one she was familiar with beforehand, it hadn't been as much of a problem as she had thought it would have turned out to be.

"So, who is going to do my accompaniment in this short notice? And well—let's face it—we have NO time to practice, it's only ten minutes till the show." Yukina mumbled, for once, her mind failing her.

"What's the song?" Kahoko asked her, startling everybody.

"Sarah Brightman's _This Love._ What are you…" Yukina stopped in mid sentence, realizing Kahoko's thoughts, her eyes widening in response.

"I am going to do your accompaniment. We have done this song before, remember?" Kahoko told her, nodding her head. Everyone just gaped at the two sisters.

"Are you sure about this, Hino? Because you may regret this after a while." Kanazawa asked her, a look of worry on his face.

Kahoko looked at her teacher and nodded. "This is the only solution, because I have done Yukina's accompaniment a long time back, and that leads me to believe that we might just pull it off tonight."

"I am sure Hino-san and Daidouji-san can do it." Said Azuma, a smile on his face.

"Yeah, you can do it, Kaho-chan!" said Kazuki, a huge grin plastered on his face.

Kahoko smiled at them. "Thanks guys!"

…………………………………………….

The audience was still applauding when Misa walked off the stage after her introductory performance. "_Our next performer tonight is Daidouji Yukina-san, performing Sarah Brightman's classic, This Love. She is accompanied by Daidouji Ayame-san on the violin and…uhm…Hino Kahoko on the piano." _Even the MC seemed a bit baffled by the sudden changes, as the audience, consisting mainly of Seiso's students broke into murmurs.

Kahoko gulped at the announcement when she felt hands enclosing on hers. She turned to see her aunt and cousin smiling at her. "Be calm, believe me, it works wonders." Ayame smiled at her. "You can do it." Said Shouko, smiling in their direction. Kahoko beamed back at her. "Thank you, Fuyuumi-chan." Said Ayame, smiling back at her. Shoko nodded in her direction.

They stepped out onto the stage in pin-drop silence. Kahoko walked over to the mahogany grand piano at the centre of the stage and seated herself at the piano seat. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She opened them to look at Yukina, who smiled at her and nodded her head, giving her the signal. She nodded back at her.

Kahoko closed her eyes again as she let her fingers do the talking. The music flowed out like a river and was joined by the sweet melody of a violin. Kahoko opened her eyes and looked at her aunt, who seemed to be lost in the music being created.

Yukina held the mic with both her hands and closed her eyes. The song poured out of her lips:

_This love_

_This love is a strange love_

_A faded kind of day love_

_This love_

_This love_

_I think I'm gonna fall again_

_And even when you held my hand_

_It didn't mean a thing_

_This love_

_This love_

_Never has to say love_

_Doesn't know it is love_

_This love_

The high notes and low notes seemed like a soft breeze because she sang effortlessly:

_This love_

_Doesn't have to say love_

_Doesn't need to be love_

_Doesn't mean a thing_

_This love_

_This love, oh-oh-oh ..._

_This strange love (strange love)_

_This love, ... –_[lines are repeated several times]

_This love_

As the last note lingered in the air, Yukina opened her eyes. Kahoko looked at the piano as if in a daze, and then looked at her aunt who was smiling at her.

The crowd broke into a thunderous applause at the performance. Yukina looked baffled but then smiled and turned behind her to extend her hand to Kahoko, who was smiling at her from the piano. Kahoko looked surprised but then stood up and walked to her sister and took her hand. The three of them bowed together, clasping hands. Yukina then took to the mic and announced, "Thank you, minna-san. I hope you enjoy the rest of your evening." She gave a smile to the audience that cheered again on hearing her joyful voice.

As they made to backstage, Kahoko realized that she felt a lot more at peace with herself. _This has helped me out more than I thought it would._ She smiled to herself.

……………………………………………………………………

_Our first performer tonight is Hihara Kazuki-kun, from Seiso Academy's Music Department, Class 3B, performing a Schubert composition, Serenade. _The MC announced as the audience welcomed him with applause.

Kazuki strode to the stage confidently and bowed to the crowd. On cue, he started playing. Unlike the third selection, there was not a single mistake and it seemed effortless. The melody was melancholy, it was written to be so, but it was beautiful nevertheless.

The individual performances had started after the ensemble performance. It seemed rushed, especially to Kahoko, because the ensemble performance was just after the trio's performance. Her performance was last, so that gave her some breathing room.

But all too soon, it was her turn to perform. This time though, she didn't feel at all nervous. She took a deep breath as she waited for the MC to announce her name over the adressal system.

"Good luck. You look beautiful tonight, Kahoko." Azuma whispered in her ear, as he came backstage after his performance. Kahoko almost jumped back, not noticing how close he was standing to her. He chuckled at her response. Kahoko went a deep shade of red, before replying, "Thank you, A..Azuma-senpai." Azuma's eyes widened in response; she had never said his given name without him teasing her and coaxing into saying it. She smiled at him, and he genuinely smiled back at her, amused that she was getting bolder when she was with him.

Kahoko looked away from him and then at her feet, which were encased in gold strappy heels; her aunt's idea of dressing her up. _This is it_, she thought.

_Our final performer tonight is Hino Kahoko-san, from the General Education Department, Class 2-2, performing a Tchaikovsky composition, Melodie._

Kahoko breathed out slowly as she walked onto the stage and faced the audience. She positioned herself and looked at Misa, who was smiling at her from the piano. She nodded to her, giving her the signal. Misa nodded in response and started her accompaniment.

As the first notes of the piece were produced by the bow being gently drawn across the bow, she found herself getting inspired to play more. _Must be dad, she smiled silently to herself._

Misa looked up at Kahoko, noticing that her playing was different from other times. It is still passionate, but it is more powerful. Although Kahoko's performances were honest and fueled by passion, this performance did not match her previous ones.

"It almost seems like she is being driven by something, as if she is playing for someone; someone who may not hear it." Kanazawa said. "She is, Kanayan." Shouko replied with a smile on her face.

_This recital is for you, Dad,_ thought Kahoko as she played out her emotions completely. _You may not hear this, but somehow I have a feeling that you are hearing this. _Her bowing became faster as she proceeded to the main part of the piece, realizing that the piece was coming to an end. _You are the person who has inspired me most. Even though you may not have been able to fulfill your dream, you never for once, showed your bitterness to me. You have truly taught me the joy and beauty that music can bring. _

She drew the bow for the last time on her violin and pulled away, finishing on a powerful note. _I dedicate this performance to you, Dad. _

She slowly opened her eyes to look at the silent audience. After a few seconds, the enraptured audience gave her a standing ovation. Kahoko was taken aback by the response, until she felt a hand upon her own, and looked at her side to find a smiling Misa. "That was unlike any other performance you have given before, Hino-san." She said.

Kahoko smiled at her. "Thank you Hamai-san." They bowed together to the audience, who were still awestruck, clapping to the powerful performance Kahoko gave.

_Thank you, Dad_. _For everything._

_._

_._

_._

_._

_._

_._

_._

**Author's rant****: DONE!! OMG…I have finished the fanfic. Can you believe it? I can't! I would like to apologize once again for the delay in publishing this story. I went out this week, with my ex-classmates—we had a reunion at a mall—twice and well, I had a whole lot of fun. Then I had a fever, so I was bedridden for a day, feeling lousy, mostly because I couldn't write and well, this heat is unbearable, especially here in India, at this time of the year. While I was planning on going out with my friends on Wednesday, I learned that my board results are coming out this Friday, i.e., TODAY! I did ok, but am still depressed because I expected a whole lot more marks. In fact, hearing of the results coming out today, led me to have some results-induced-writer's block. Otherwise I could have finished this chapter and posted it that day itself. Thank you for taking in my rant, I just needed to let that out. The epilogue will be showing up in a couple of days, and well, I am doing some matchmaking for Kahoko, since she did not choose anyone. I designed this fanfic in order to make her acknowledge her skills and abilities. To everyone who has read this fanfic, reviewed it, added it to their favourites and alert lists, a big THANK YOU and muah! Do leave a review, I would love to hear your opinions on the ending as well as any rants you may have, after all I ranted on you for quite a while! ;) Happy reading!!**

**P.S. ****'Di commune accordo' is Italian for 'in concert'. I forgot to mention that in my rant. ;p **

**P.S.S****. I am not partial, but if I may say this: I want to thank **C. Isabel **from the bottom of my heart. Without your reviews and constructive criticism, this fanfic would not have been able to come this far. Lots of love to you, **_**mia cara. **_


	10. Epilogue

Epilogue 

.

.

_Per Amore_

.

.

Kahoko looked at the sea and took in a deep breath. Her now long red hair almost reached her waist. It was much straighter and the messy style was replaced by a cleaner cut, giving her a mature look and was kept from her face by a hairclip. The first year college student looked over at the Tyrrhenian Sea for the last time and made way to her grandparents' place. She was no longer in Yokohama, Japan. She was in Rome, Italy.

After her second year in Seiso Academy, she transferred to the Music Department in her final year, along with Ryotaro. She had already decided to pursue music in college but was reluctant to change departments, especially in her final year. Her aunt had literally begged her to do so, because she knew that things would become hard in music college, especially if Kahoko did not get proper music education at high school first; a thing Kahoko was unaware of. But in the end, when she enrolled in Seiso Daigaku, she was glad she took her aunt's advice. After graduating from college, her violin teacher, Zaoyinu sensei, had advised her on getting some foreign exposure before she proceeded with a career. Kahoko knew that even though her aunt would be thrilled at the idea and would pay through the expenses, she could not accept such an offer. Her only solution was only if she could get a scholarship. She preferred Rome, because that is where her aunt and her grandparents were residing. Chances favoured her. Within a couple of months of applying, Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, accepted her application, and granted her a full scholarship after she passed the entrance exam. She was currently living with her grandparents in their beachfront villa. Her aunt's mansion was a twenty minute walk from the villa, also situated near the beach.

"Thinking about something, onee-chan?" A joyful voice cut through her random thoughts. Kahoko turned around to find a pair of light jewel-like purple eyes staring at her beneath deep red curls, hair held back from her face by a white headband. Aiyaka gave her a toothy smile.

Kahoko grinned back at her. "I love your uniform, it suits you well, kitty." Aiyaka giggled at the use of her nickname and answered, looking over Kahoko, "Personally, I like it, but what I don't like about my uniform are these bows." The second year undergraduate said pointing to the red ties at her wrists that kept her full sleeved shirt in place. "I mean, who uses ties in place of buttons?!?! Seriously, if they had told me, I would have sown buttons, but now I learnt that it is not allowed. Sheesh." Aiyaka let it all out in one go.

Kahoko laughed out loud on hearing her younger sister's rant and said, "Well, it is a good thing they have disallowed usage of buttons. 'Coz as far as I know, you can't sow." Kahoko stuck out her tongue playfully at her, who pouted indignantly. "Yes, well—oh, you know what I mean!!!" She looked at Kahoko's uniform and said, "Can't wait for post graduation, that uniform rocks!" Kahoko smiled at her sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head in embarrassment, "Yeah, well, I like it a lot too."

"Where is Mori-senpai? She is usually with you this time of the day." Aiyaka asked, changing the subject. "She said she has got something to do. So I came without her." Mori Minami had also passed the tough entrance exam and was completing her post graduation at Accademia.

"That's my way. See you onee-chan!" Aiyaka said, turning into one of the roads that forked out and waving to her older cousin. Kahoko waved back at her and continued on her way, taking the other road.

………………………………………………………………

"Ah Misa, Len come on in!" Ayame chirped in. Ayame welcomed her former senpai and her son into her mother's villa. Misa smiled at her, while Len simply nodded.

"Good thing you are came. It's been a really long time since you visited me, Len." Ayame said, after they had comfortably settled comfortably on the sofa in the living room which led out to the garden. "It sometimes too much to handle, the schedule. I wish I could have visited you earlier_._" Len said, having known his mother's kouhai since he was much younger. "You look a lot more mature now. Got a girlfriend?" Ayame asked while handing Misa a cup of tea. Len choked on his tea on hearing her say that. He gave her an incredulous look. _You have got to be kidding me!! C'mon, I know you act ditzy sometimes, but this is too much, _he mentally rambled. Ayame and his mother laughed at his reaction.

The door opened suddenly to reveal a woman in her late sixties. She smiled at the occupants of the room. Len and Misa immediately stood and bowed to her. "Good afternoon, minna-san. Long time no see, Tsukimori-san." She nodded towards Misa. Misa smiled and replied, "Yes, it has really been a long time, Hino-san. Len has been busy with concerts and he just got free of his hectic schedule. So, while we are still in Rome, we decided to pay you a visit. Len, this is Ayame-san's mother, Hino Michiko-san."

Len was shocked to hear 'Hino'. _Not related to her, _he told himself. He bowed again to the older lady how smiled and gestured him to sit down. "So, how have things been going on with you, Hino-san? I hear that you have been quite busy with the business." Misa asked her, taking a sip of her tea.

Michiko nodded towards Ayame who handed her a cup of tea, acknowledging it. "Yes, well Takahiro could definitely use some help. It doesn't really make much of a difference, since I used to actively help him out before. Things got difficult when Aki passed away." Ayame looked at her mother, noticing the strain in her voice. Michiko smiled at her, shaking her head, to wave off any doubts she might have. "But I will definitely say this, I am very glad that Kaho is studying here. She lights up my life. Truly she does."

Len looked at her sharply. _Kaho? _He couldn't have heard right. _This is getting really weird. _He told himself. Misa asked Michiko, "Didn't she graduate from college last year?" Michiko nodded. "Yes, as a matter of fact she did, but her professor asked her to get a post graduation before starting off her career. She applied at the Accademia and she got it! I tell you I was really surprised. Because I never thought that she would take up music again." She replied sipping her tea. "In fact she would be home any moment soon. I told her to come home early, so that you could meet her." Misa smiled at her words.

Len listened and convinced himself that it couldn't possibly be her. Sure he had lost contact with her in her last college year, but he was sure that it could not be the same girl. To tell the truth, he had wanted to see her for the longest time. Even when he was studying in Berlin, he had wanted to see her badly. No other woman had made such a deep impact in his life--- even if her music was not up to par, she more than made up for it by her expression and passion. Her determination to succeed never ceased to amaze him. It had been infectious, because even though he had been called a prodigy, he had pushed himself hard to match up to her music. He, without conceit, attributed it to her, even though he never would acknowledge it openly. He wanted her to listen to his music, even though he didn't realize that she already loved his melodies.

"Mimi, I am home!" A cheerful voice came from the hallway leading to the living room. Len shifted uncomfortably. The voice seemed too familiar for his own liking."Kaho, sweetie, could you come to the living room please?" Michiko called out to her, noticing Len's discomfiture. "Tsukimori-kun, are you all right?" She asked him. Len looked at her and nodded, realizing that words were failing him. "Coming in a moment!" came the voice.

"Buonasera mimi. What did…." Kahoko stopped mid-sentence, noticing the man sitting there in her living room. She stared at him, eyes widened in shock.

Len looked no less astonished to see her there. He looked at the girl who had been haunting his dreams from so long ago. He turned his gaze on her attire—the Accademia's uniform suited her well. The deep blue skirt, which ended at her knees, emphasized her long toned legs. The full sleeved shirt, complete with a waistcoat and necktie, similar to the boys' uniform at Seiso, looked good on her. Her hair had grown longer and was held back from her face. She looked really beautiful, and the uniform did nothing to hide it.

Kahoko blushed under his intense stare and cleared her throat in an effort to ease up the situation. "Tsukimori-kun! I didn't expect to see you here." He gulped down and said, "Same here, Hino-san. I did not expect to see you here." She smiled at him. Michiko said amusedly, "Well, I think you two don't need any introduction, eh?" She winked at Kahoko, who went red and stared at her grandmother. "Mimi!" She blurted out. "Like a cup, Kaho?" Ayame asked her, a small playing on her lips. Kahoko sighed at her expression and nodded, moving to sit in the loveseat.

………………………………………………………………….

Kahoko made her way to college, getting up much earlier than she usually did. Not that she slept much, with the events of last night still playing in her mind.

FLASHBACK

"So what is your minor subject Hino-san?" Len asked her never taking his eyes off her. It felt as if she would vanish if he stopped looking at her. "I am minoring in the piano." She replied, trying to keep her nerves at bay. He looked a bit bewildered at her words.

Sensing his reaction, Michiko answered, "Kahoko started playing the piano when she was five. And she was good. So it was a natural choice for a minor subject." Kahoko gave her grandmother a grateful look, thanking her silently for stopping at the right moment. She had borne a lot in her last school year at Seiso Gakuen; the incessant questions and attention was something she dreaded.

"Len and I are having a concert at the Parco della Musica this coming Friday. It is an exhibition concert. Many famous musicians will be performing, including your aunt here." Misa said, nodding towards Ayame. Kahoko nodded and said, "The Accademia is participating in an ensemble performance, and as it happens, I am included in that group." Misa looked elated by the news. "That sounds wonderful dear! I have a favour to ask of you, if you don't mind." She paused. Kahoko nodded at her, urging her to continue. She continued, "I would like Len to be your escort to the afterparty, if it is not too much to ask." Kahoko looked at her in shock, while Len gave her a are-you-kidding-me look. Ayame laughed at their expressions and patted Kahoko on the back. "I will be fun for the both of you. After all, even Kahoko hasn't had a boyfriend before."

Kahoko went red at her aunt's words. "You needn't have said that, _zia_." She spit out, not able to hold back any longer. Len looked at her with amusement dancing in his eyes and then said, "I don't have a problem with it, do you Hino-san?" _So, I still got a chance._ He thought silently.

She looked at him in shock. _What was he saying?_ She looked at the three women, who were looking at her with expectantly. She sighed. _It isn't exactly a choice, is it? Not that I mind, but…_ "No, I don't, Tsukimori-kun." Misa clapped her hands gleefully. "Wonderful!"

END OF FLASHBACK

_I really don't mind, but…what if he is not the same person I knew before? People change, I for one, know that best. _She thought silently as she made way to her classroom. _But, I will say this, I am really glad he is here, for I have lost count of the time from which I wanted to see him after he left Japan. _

……………………………………………………………….

"He is going to do what?????" Mori Minami stared at Kahoko through saucer like eyes. Kahoko sighed and rubbed her temples while putting down the violin. "It is NOT a date, Minami-san. His mother asked me to allow him to be my escort to the afterparty."

Minami looked away from Kahoko and at the piano's keyboard. A small smile played on her lips. "But you do like him, do you not? So it should not be as troublesome as you think it is going to turn out to be."

"No—don't you say no to me!" Minami waved a finger at Kahoko, seeing she was going to shake her head. "I know perfectly well why you refused Tsuchiura-kun when he told you. You told him that you didn't feel the same way for him. But the truth of the matter is that you were waiting for Tsukimori-kun to make a move. Don't you deny it Kaho-chan!"

Kahoko sat down and looked out of the window of the practice room. "People change, Minami. I know how much I changed when Dad died. Time changes people. Who knows whether he has changed from what I knew him to be?"

Minami stood up and walked to the window, standing beside Kahoko. "You are talking like an old man, Kaho." She joked. Looking at Kahoko's serious face, she sighed and said, "You think Ice Cube could get any colder than that? And besides, believe me when I say this, he likes you enough."

Kahoko gave her a small smile. "Minami-san, what if he doesn't, you know…" she trailed off, realizing what she was going to say.

Minami grinned at her and said, "Finally realized, huh?" Kahoko went beet red at her words. Minami put a comforting hand on her back and said gently, "Once you get the chance to do so, tell him how you feel. Trust me." Kahoko began shaking her head. "It will be worth it. Even if he doesn't return your feelings, you will free yourself of the burden." Kahoko looked at Minami for a long time and then finally nodded. "But what will happen to my heart. I may be free of the burden, as you say, but will I be able to accept his decision?" Minami said nothing and looked out of the window. Kahoko lowered her head, hiding her eyes in her bangs, knowing that there is nothing that she can do about his decision, if he does not feel the same way as her.

……………………………………………………………………..

"Once again from the top!" Her music professor boomed out and the musicians on the stage winced at his loud voice. "Oi, Kahoko, you look kinda depressed. Is everything alright?" Kahoko's classmate and fellow violinist in the ensemble, Amelia Kaufmann asked her. Kahoko smiled at her, "Everything's ok, Amy. Don't worry."

It was two days to the concert and they were practicing in one of the Accademia's three auditoriums. The old styled auditoriums looked majestic. The auditorium was designed in a manner to resonate the sounds because when it was built, almost two hundred years previously, public adressal systems were not available. Kahoko loved to perform here, and was looking forward to performing at the newly constructed Parco della Musica, knowing that it matched up to the Accademia auditorium's grandeur.

…………………………………………………………………………

Len winced internally as he hit another wrong note. _What the…not again!_ He thought irritably. He had been hitting wrong notes all morning. His practice this morning was flawed to say the least; he just could not concentrate, something that he had never experienced before. The conversation he had with his mother the night before still preyed on his mind.

FLASHBACK

Misa let out a tired yawn as she sat down on the sofa. "Was a long day, wasn't it Len?"

She looked at her son, who looked annoyed. "Ask. I know you want to."

Len sat down and looked straight at his mother. "Why did you not tell me that Hino-san's grandmother is Daidouji-san's mother?!" He asked angrily.

Misa answered, a smile playing on her lips. "To tell the truth, I forgot. I also did not know that Kahoko-san is studying here. Ayame and I have been friends since I participated in the concours in my time. That was the only reason I went to visit her and her mother."

"Kahoko-san's father was Ayame's twin brother. He died when Kahoko-san was nine. It devastated them all, especially Kahoko-san. She was very good at the piano, starting at five. She quit due to her father's death."

"Since when did you know this, mom?" Len asked, surprised by the information.

"Five years back. In the exhibition concert where the participants of that year's concourse. We were in Tokyo. Ayame and I were talking about things when she told me. She loves Kahoko-san most, because she is most like her father in demeanor."

"Now are you glad that I asked Kahoko-san to be your date?" Misa asked mischievously.

"You shouldn't have. You practically forced it down her throat." Len said coldly.

"Aww. Don't be like that Len." Misa made a childish face. "Besides, if I didn't someone else may take her away, you know."

Len gave his mother a questioning look. Misa sighed. "Someone asked her out in her third year, I am not sure that you know. It's – what was his name—Tsuchiura-san, I think."

Len looked at his mother shocked. "How did you know that?"

Misa looked at him seriously. "I stumbled upon Ayame and Kahoko-san talking in the seaside café. Kahoko-san was very upset, because I think she counted him amongst her best friends. Ayame kept on telling her that it was alright if she did not feel the same way about him. She refused him after that, and they still keep the friendship, from what Ayame tells me."

"You are too slow Len. You think things will fall into place, but they will not if you do not make an effort towards it." Misa told him. "On a lighter note, I would not mind at all if Kahoko-san were to be my daughter-in-law." She winked at him.

Len looked at his mother incredulously, muttering, "You are truly too much, mother." Misa chuckled at his words.

END OF FLASHBACK

"Is it love? What is love? I have no bloody idea." Len muttered, feeling even more cross and irritated than before. He rubbed his temples and sat down on the sofa, hoping that the coming Friday's afterparty would not turn out to be a disaster.

………………………………………………………………..

Kahoko rubbed her eyes wearily and got up from bed as the alarm clock blared to life. Stretching out like a cat, she looked at her alarm clock; 6 AM. "Ah…sleep of my life!" She mumbled. But as soon as she got up from bed, the first thing that struck her mind was that she was going to the afterparty with Len later that evening. "Ack! I just hope that I don't make a fool of myself." She said worriedly.

She had attended a few business dinners with her older brother as her escort. Hino Kanata was training to take over the company after their grandfather retired. She had gone with him because she wanted to know the business. Even though she may never actively run the business, Kahoko felt that she should know the basics of it.

She quickly freshened up and changed into a long cotton skirt and a white shirt, making her way downstairs.

"Buon giorno, mimi, nonno." She wished her grandparents, who were in the living room having tea.

Both her grandparents greeted her and her grandmother asked her to sit with them, while having tea.

"It's the big day, huh, kiddo?" Her grandfather asked. Kahoko replied, "Yeah, and I am feeling kinda nervous…I just hope that I don't screw up my performance. It means a lot to be representing the Accademia."

"Don't worry, you will be great, as always." Came a voice from the doorway. Kahoko looked up to see her older brother smiling at her. "Buon giorno, onii-san." She smiled up at him. He greeted her back while settling himself down on the sofa.

"So, you bought an evening dress for the afterparty?" Kanata asked his sister.

Kahoko choked on her tea and looked at him in shock. "I…I have got a dress for the concert. That will do, won't it?" she asked him weakly.

Kanata looked at her astonished and shook his head. He said, "You need an evening dress for the afterparty. Preferably a floor length gown. You haven't got it by the looks of it." He looked at his sister, who had a look of panic on her face.

"Why don't you wear that forest green gown I showed you the other day? I am going out for some errands right now, I can drop it off at the tailor's to have it altered. It wont take much time, plus they are professionals." Her grandmother asked.

Kahoko looked at her grandmother and smiled gratefully. "Thank you, mimi. I would have died for sure today, had it not been for you."

Michiko looked at her granddaughter and smiled back. _This evening will be fun._

……………………………………………………..

"Kahoko! You are up next!" The backstage assistant called out to her. The postgraduate department of the Accademia was represented in the concert by the first year students' ensemble, which included Kahoko, her classmate Amelia Kaufmann and Minami Mori on the piano. The undergraduate department was also represented by an ensemble, which included Aiyaka Daidouji, Kahoko's cousin. The postgrad students were the last performers of the night.

"_Our next performers are from the postgraduate department of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia. They are performing a Mozart composition, String Quintet No. 5 in D major."_ The MC boomed on the adressal system.

On cue they walked on stage. Kahoko was dumbstruck on seeing the concert hall completely filled, but the excitement of having to perform on the occasion choked out any feeling of stage fright. When they started the first movement, it felt like a river of emotions. Music has always been known as a means of conveying emotions. Kahoko felt elated on hearing the music which sounded perfect. The two violins, violas and the cello harmonized perfectly with the piano. It made her remember the time when she performed in a similar concert in her second year. That performance had taught her a lot-----it had taught her to accept her skills and herself for who she was, and embrace a future that she given up. She did feel a lot at peace with herself now, and hoped that her heart would find the same peace that it had been craving for.

A standing ovation greeted the musicians at the end of the performance. Kahoko bowed along with the others, gracefully accepting their applause.

…………………………………………………………

"Whew! That was so good!" Said Amelia cheerfully, as she and Kahoko made way to the dressing rooms. Kahoko smiled happily at her and nodded. It had truly been a wonderful performance and she felt really happy with the music they made.

"Say, are you going to the afterparty?" Amelia asked suddenly. Kahoko said, "As a matter of fact, I am. My aunt asked me to attend it. You coming?"

Amelia answered, "Yeah, me too. Apparently there were supposed to be scouts in the concert, and well, they can help us in getting selected for orchestras after we graduate. That would be real nice."

Kahoko nodded in reply. "By the way," Amelia began and Kahoko looked at her. "Your cousin told me to tell you that you should meet your aunt in her dressing room after the performance. You went to the washroom so Aiyaka told me." She finished as she opened the door to their dressing room.

"Okay, thanks for that, Amy." Kahoko answered as she gathered her things and went off, waving at her. "See you at the party, Kaho!" Amy responded, waving back.

………………………………………………

Kahoko knocked twice on her aunt's dressing room. The door opened to reveal her aunt who was in a toweling robe, obviously getting ready for the party. "Oh, come on in, Kaho! Mum sent you that dress." She winked at Kahoko, indicating a package on the table.

"If it were not for mimi, I would have…" Kahoko cut off as she took out the dress. It was a forest green, floor-length gown. The straps dipped to the back, showing off her back. Three more straps crossed each other at the back. The dress had a low neckline, which would expose a generous amount of cleavage. _Low neckline…oh lord..get me outta this one…_

"Why don't you try it out? I must say, the tailors are good: they altered the gown in an afternoon!" Ayame said, cutting through Kahoko's thoughts.

Kahoko nodded in response and went to freshen up and put on the dress. After twenty minutes, she came out, with her hair flowing freely down her spine. "Uhm,_ zia_, you think this looks alright?" She asked nervously.

Ayame, who had just finished putting up her make-up, turned around at her voice and gaped at her. Then she broke into a wide smile and said, "It suits you a lot. This came with the dress. Here." She handed Kahoko an envelope.

Kahoko tore open the envelope to read the letter enclosed. She recognized her grandmother's familiar clear handwriting:

_Kaho_

_I hope you like the dress. Those tailors did some fast work alright, seeing how I sprung upon them with this sudden request. I first wore this dress, on my first dinner party as your grandfather's wife._ _It is a bit…unorthodox, shall I say? The way it is designed I mean. I hope you enjoy your evening with Tsukimori-kun._

_All my love_

_Mimi_

_P.S. I have sent something else with the dress. It will go with it beautifully. Do wear it._

She looked up at her aunt, who asked her to come and sit on the ottoman. "How should we do up your hair? I must say, that dress will knock off every sense Len has!" She grinned mischievously. Kahoko went beet red as she exclaimed, "_ZIA!!_"

Her aunt merely chuckled at her reaction.

…………………………………………………..

Len straightened his tie as he waited for Kahoko to come down. He was waiting along with Kahoko's uncle. Her uncle, Daidouji Takeshi, was a violinist and they soon started a conversation, much to the astonishment of the people present in the party hall.

"Tsukimori-kun, I think you 'd better turn around." Takeshi said, placing his hand on his shoulder, his gaze fixing on two women coming down the staircase.

Len turned around and simply stared at her. Beautiful was an understatement. She looked ravishing. Her hair was braided on both sides and was pulled up into a bun at the back. Her dress showed off _all_ her curves, hugging her body. An emerald pendant and earrings completed the look. She looked a bit flushed, apparently from all the dressing up her aunt had done to her.

Kahoko stopped a couple of steps before the ending of the staircase and looked at Len; he looked really good. He stared at her openly, admiration in his eyes. _Admiration? What am I thinking?!!? _She thought nervously.

"Hino-san." Len called, breaking her train of thoughts. To her shock, he gave her a smile; an admiring smile. "You look beautiful tonight." He said, as he took her hand and kissed it lightly.

Kahoko could feel herself blushing as she returned his smile. "Arigato, Tsukimori-kun. You l…look handsome as well." She stuttered.

"Shall we?" Ayame asked them, smiling at the couple, while she held Takeshi's hand.

Kahoko nodded in response, taking Len's arm as he offered it to her.

………………………………………………………….

Kahoko let out a sigh as she looked out from the roof of the banquet hall. But the breathtaking view did nothing to ease the headache that was coming along. "Shouldn't have drunk so much. Man, champagne doesn't go down well with me." She muttered rubbing her temples.

The entire evening had been spent meeting the scouts for the orchestras and talking to people. Len introduced her to many people, and they had very little time together. Even now Len was busy downstairs, meeting people. She was feeling a bit tired so she went to the roof to get some fresh air.

"So there you are. I was wondering where you went." A deep masculine voice cut across her thoughts.

She turned to find Len staring at her. He smiled at her and went to stand beside her. She smiled back and then looked out to the view.

"How are you these days? We lost contact last year." Len started, looking at her.

"I am alright. I wanted to tell you that I was going to study in Italy, but I did not have any means by which I could inform you." Kahoko began, looking at him.

"Did you miss playing the piano before you took it up as your minor subject in college?" He asked suddenly.

Kahoko looked at him, astonished. Then she lowered her head, not being able to look at him. "You know, huh, Tsukimori-kun?"

She looked at him, her eyes glistening. Len nodded, but didn't say anything. "I didn't tell you because I wanted to forget all the bad memories it brought up. I had witnessed my father's death with my own eyes. It was too painful to continue playing it, mostly because he taught me how to play. So I quit." She began, averting her eyes from him.

"But I always felt that there was something missing from my life. When I was practicing at my aunt's house for the exhibition concert at the end of second year, I played it, unable to resist. It didn't hurt as much as I thought it would. " She finished.

"You grew up. When you grow up you come to bear a lot of things better than you earlier did." Len said, looking at her.

She looked at him and smiled. "Thank you for saying that, Tsukimori-kun." She said happily.

Seeing her smile made it hard for him to not return her smile. He could only guess how much she had gone through at such an age. Somehow he doubted any of her friends knew that she had seen her father die.

He reached out a hand to gently cup her face. She looked up at him startled but did not move away, nor did she remove his hand. He slowly caressed her face, before tilting her chin to look into her golden depths.

Kahoko stared back into his eyes, fascinated. She was completely taken aback when she felt his lips on hers. His arms slowly wound around her waist as he pulled her towards his lithe frame. She closed her eyes to treasure the moment, as her hands, of their own volition, slid up around his neck . He deepened the kiss, sensing her reaction. She moaned into their kiss as felt his tongue massaging hers.

After what seemed like eternity, they broke the kiss. Kahoko couldn't take her eyes off him, openly gaping at him. He chuckled at her reaction, and bent down to trail kisses along her neck. Kahoko shuddered when she felt his mouth upon her skin, and gripped him tightly, as the neck was one of her sensitive areas.

He hugged her tightly, while resting his face in the crook of her neck. He loved the way her body felt against his. He drew back but kept her in his embrace while she looked up at him, a small smile tugging her lips.

"I wanted to tell you for a very long time, but did not recognize my own feelings. Also, I heard that Kiriya and Tsuchiura tried asking you out, with Kiriya using his own methods. I just did not want to impose myself on you." Len said seriously.

Kahoko blanched white on hearing about Etou. "H…How did you know about Kiriya?"

"He told me. He also said that you did not feel the same way for him and took him for nothing more than a good friend. We keep in touch, you know." Len answered. On seeing her downcast look, he tilted he face up and said, "You have nothing to feel guilty about, yo…"

"I have liked you from before that. So in a way, I betrayed you." Kahoko murmured. Len looked shocked.

"No, you did not. We were not in a relationship then so you have nothing to feel guilty about." He replied after a while.

Tightening his arms around her he said, "And now that I have you, I will never let you go, Kahoko."

Kahoko sighed softly as she rested her forehead against his chest, finally finding the peace that her heart was desiring for so long.

.

.

.

_Fin_

_._

_._

**Author's note****: DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This took an impossible time to finish, mainly because I was researching music and Rome in general. I did not want the epilogue to look like it flew right out of Disneyland. I hope you liked it, for I had a fabulous time writing it. Here is some trivia to satisfy your curiosity:**

The **Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia** in Rome is one of the oldest musical institutions in the world. Officially founded in 1585, it has evolved over the centuries from an organization of largely "local" musicians to a modern academy and symphonic concert organization of international repute. Uniting an academic body of 100 of the most illustrious exponents of culture and music with a symphonic orchestra and chorus that are among the most internationally renowned, the Accademia carries out professional musical training and conserves an extremely rich historical patrimony, thus reflecting its own multi-century history.

The Auditorium **Parco della Musica** is a large multi-functional public music complex to the north of Rome — in the area where the 1960 Summer Olympic Games were held. The Parco della Musica was designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano. Three large concert halls (_Sala Petrassi_, in memory of Goffredo Petrassi, about 700 seats; _Sala Sinopoli_, in memory of Giuseppe Sinopoli, about 1200 seats; _Sala Santa Cecilia_, about 2800 seats) are structurally separated to ensure soundproofing, though joined at the base by a continuous lobby. A fourth "concert hall", called _Cavea_, is the open air theater recalling ancient Greek and Roman theaters. The Accademia is located at the Parco della Musica.

**You know the drill…read and review! Happy reading!**

**P.S. 'Per Amore' is Italian for 'in love', 'nonno' stands for grandfather, 'buonasera' is for 'good evening' and 'buon giorno' is for 'good morning'.**


End file.
